The war with the Insectoids had been raging for a long time, so long that Ye Zhizhou's gene modification fluid had advanced from x2 to x3.
[The probability of romance between Dan·Gote and the protagonist has dropped to 0%. The eighth Soul Flag has been removed. The mission in this world is complete. Would you like to enter the next world?]
Ye Zhizhou hesitated for a moment, then mentally selected "no" and picked up his communicator.
A custom ringtone sounded immediately, and he quickly answered, looking at the communication panel with anticipation. "Have you found the original body?"
"I found it." Clay retracted his mecha, revealing a massive insectoid creature blocked by the mecha. "This is the queen of this generation of Insectoids. Although she's powerful, she's not much different from the previous ones. What you need to pay attention to is this," he pointed to the abdomen below.
Ye Zhizhou followed his finger and furrowed his brow. "Twin?"
"They are not fully developed twins; they can only be considered parasites. They have their own consciousness but cannot move freely." Clay explained while bringing the communicator's screen closer to the underdeveloped parasite. "The queen is the mother of all high-ranking Insectoids, and her reproductive abilities are formidable. If this twin were to fully develop, this generation of Insectoids would have two queens, potentially doubling or tripling the size of the impending insect swarm. Luckily..."
"Luckily, it didn't fully develop." Ye Zhizhou's heart settled as he couldn't help but sneer at the deformed insect corpse on the screen. "Even though it didn't fully develop, it was causing quite a bit of trouble. Unable to move freely, it used the queen's exceptionally high psychic abilities and reproductive capabilities to forcibly implant its thoughts into the offspring the queen gave birth to, making other insects act on its behalf. Those human experiments were undoubtedly its doing; its mind works well, but insects are still insects, only interested in taking from others!"
"It's already dead." Clay heard the frustration in his tone and quickly reassured him. "The queen has been destroyed, and the Insectoids have suffered a major blow. They shouldn't resurface until the birth of a new queen."
"If they do resurface, we'll exterminate them!" Ye Zhizhou gritted his teeth and muttered angrily, "Encountering insects from two worlds in a row is more than enough!"
"Xiaozhou."
He snapped back to attention and quickly composed himself, changing the subject. "What's wrong? By the way, when are you coming back?"
"Soon." Clay gazed at him deeply, his eyes revealing emotions that Ye Zhizhou couldn't quite understand. "You're already twenty years old, and when I return, we'll get married. Also, there are some things I haven't asked about, but that doesn't mean I don't want to know. Xiaozhou, I look forward to the day you're honest with me."
Click, the communication closed. Ye Zhizhou was left dumbfounded, a bit silly, and somewhat frustrated. He knew his lover had been pretending to be oblivious all this time! Too much had been revealed in this world, even the most hidden secrets, like the Boundless System... Oh no, he was in trouble!
[Would you like to enter the next world?]
He glanced sideways at the glowing screen. "Tongtian, are you trying to make me run away?"
The small mirror shook heavily, seemingly terrified of the exposure to Clay. [Host, please treat the system kindly.]
With a heavy expression, he responded with two idioms, "Take care of one's own affairs and seek good fortune on one's own."
Tongtian swiftly flew out of his pocket, then darted back into his space, seemingly intimidated.
He stared in disbelief, then bent down and frantically poked at the space. "Come out! You traitor! We agreed to face this together, and you dare to hide on your own, come out!"
The small mirror remained unmoved, pretending as if it had never appeared in the first place.
The Insectoids were defeated, and the Empire and Federation achieved a comprehensive victory in the war. The heroes returned, and the entire galaxy was immersed in a celebration.
"Xiaozhou."
Clay dug Ye Zhizhou out from under the blanket, pinching his earlobe. "I know you're not sleeping. Open your eyes."
Ye Zhizhou tightly shut his eyes and burrowed further into the blanket.
"Xiaozhou." Clay's voice grew colder.
Ye Zhizhou's body stiffened, and he quickly opened his eyes, saying, "No! I won't tell you about Tongtian; it's just a harmless and adorable little mirror. Please spare it!"
"A harmless little mirror that inexplicably left a hole in your head?" Clay crossed his arms, giving an unusual cold expression.
Ye Zhizhou felt guilty. "It wasn't because of it..."
"Still trying to deceive me?"
"Okay, it was because of it," he hung his head, looking like a well-behaved student. "But I asked it to do it. I was afraid my brother would get hurt if he was captured, so I found a way to transfer his injuries to me... You know, I have a lot of powerful elixirs, and those elixirs were actually given to me by Tongtian. It saved me many times! Truly, it's a good mirror!"
Clay's expression grew even colder. "Injury transfer? What if your brother had been killed at that moment? Were you prepared to die in his place?"
"I wouldn't have died; Tongtian would protect me..."
"Hmm?"
There was a murderous aura! He shivered and hastily raised his hand to swear, "There won't be a next time! I swear!"
Clay remained silent for a moment, and finally, his expression softened slightly as he frowned. "How did you obtain it?"
"It was like a gift from the heavens..."
Clay couldn't help but sneer and unbuttoned his shirt. "You can take your time making up stories. We have the whole night to talk."
The faint scent of mint filled the room, and Ye Zhizhou looked shocked. "You actually got angry when I mentioned Tongtian? Do you love me or Tongtian?"
Clay glanced at him indifferently, unbuttoning his clothes. "You'll know who I love in a while."
It seemed that changing the topic and being persistent had completely failed! Ye Zhizhou touched the small tattoo on his wrist, closed his eyes, clenched his teeth, unbuttoned his clothes boldly, and then took off his pants. He looked fierce and said, "Let's get on with it; why waste time talking!"
Clay's breath caught, and he instinctively embraced him. The scent of mint in the air grew stronger.
The two quickly rolled together, and a beam of light stretched out unnoticed by Clay, holding a pill inside.
Ye Zhizhou took a deep breath and swallowed it, asking in his mind, "What is this?"
[Heirloom Elixir.]
"...Thank you very much." He almost forgot that in this world, beta individuals could also have children.
Clay noticed his distraction, his face darkened, and he changed their position. Lowering his head, he bit Ye Zhizhou's neck. "What are you thinking about?"
Ye Zhizhou lifted his arm to hold him and tried to maintain a deep expression while struggling to control his breathing. He said softly, "I'm wondering if the Empire will accept an empress who can't have children. Your parents might not be pleased."
"..."
"My dear, would you abandon me for the sake of a child?"
"It seems I haven't been trying hard enough." Clay kissed him passionately, changing their position again. "When we're in bed, you're only allowed to think about me."
Ye Zhizhou was surprised and hastily took a deep breath, grabbing onto the bedsheet. He felt a mix of embarrassment and delight in his heart. This position was really... a bit too much.
Ned stood guard at the door, emotionless, watching Chris approach.
"Where's my brother? Didn't he say he was going to introduce his wife to our parents? Father and Mother are waiting."
"The Crown Prince and the Empress are resting," Ned replied with a straight face. "They're expected to rest for quite a while."
Chris paused, scrutinizing him with suspicion, scanning him from head to toe, then glancing at the tightly closed door. Suddenly, he grinned mischievously. "Big Brother acts so quickly... I'll go tell Mother this good news right away!" With that, he dashed off.
Ned watched him go with a look of sympathy, mentally lighting a row of candles for him. Enjoy your happiness now, but when you find out that the Crown Prince won't be vying for the throne because he wants to spend time with the Empress, Second Prince, you'll be in for a surprise...
Decades later, Ye Zhizhou departed ahead of time, and Clay helped him tidy his clothes and hair. Then, lying beside him, he took out a small mirror from under the pillow and tapped it gently. "Protect him."
The little mirror quivered and a childish voice spoke, "Yes, sir."
"Although I don't have memories," Clay placed the small mirror in Ye Zhizhou's hand, then held onto his body and closed his eyes, "I can vaguely sense something... Xiaozhou, wait for me."
The life force of the two of them disappeared completely. The small mirror quivered gently again and emitted a soft light, enveloping Clay. The childish voice continued, "The laws of the heavens have been broken, the cycle has ended, Your Excellency, please do not linger in the three-thousand worlds any longer."
A semi-transparent white figure floated out of Clay's body, hesitated for a moment, and then suddenly turned into dots of light that disappeared into the air. "It's been so long..."
The dots of light vanished, and everything returned to calm. The small mirror retracted its light, let out a sigh, and then shattered, dispersing into the air.
Ye Zhizhou knew he was dreaming. In the dream, there was a white figure walking away from him with their back turned. He wanted to chase after them, but his legs felt heavy and wouldn't budge. Thick fog gradually surrounded them, and finally, the white figure turned around, saying something indistinct. He struggled to hear it clearly but suddenly jolted awake.
"Yan'er, don't be afraid. If need be, we, father and son, will die together." His hand was held, and then a mature and handsome face appeared in his line of sight. "It's my fault for being confused in the past, insisting on raising you as a daughter... You could have lived carefree as a prince, and in the future, you could have found a wife who loves you and lived a peaceful life. But now..."
Big brother, is it really okay for a man like you to cry like this, with such "pear blossoms with rain"? And what on earth is a "wife"?
Seeing him lying on the bed after opening his eyes, not saying a word and not moving, Delongjun felt even more heartbroken. After a moment of silence, a look of determination suddenly flashed in his eyes. "Yan'er, tomorrow is the day of the body examination. Since we can't escape no matter what, why don't we..." He took out a dagger from his pocket, opened it, and pointed the blade at Ye Zhizhou's chest. His voice trembled with despair. "Why don't we, father and son, die together? As members of the royal bloodline, how can we allow those lowly maids to examine our bodies? Yan'er, rest assured, Father will protect your purity. After you leave, Father will join you soon!"
Holy crap!
Ye Zhizhou quickly rolled away to avoid the descending blade, and urgently said, "Calm down! I'll handle whatever issues arise, truly! No matter what problem, I can solve it! Please, don't contemplate suicide!" And please don't drag him into it!
Delongjun froze for a moment, then suddenly let go of the dagger, rushed forward, and hugged Ye Zhizhou, sobbing uncontrollably. "My foolish Yan'er, you're still so considerate. But how can we resolve this situation now? Or... Or you can escape. Father will help you, and once you're gone, don't ever come back."
Ye Zhizhou was nearly suffocated in the other person's embrace. He desperately called upon the system in his mind while trying to calm the other person with his mental energy. As soon as the other person calmed down a bit, he used the excuse of being tired and wanting to sleep to send him away.
Finally, a delicate small mirror on the dressing table responded to his call, vibrating before the screen popped up with a message: "[Do you wish to receive plot information?]"
"Hurry up, accept it." He rushed to the table, picked up the mirror, and recalled what the man had said earlier, feeling an ominous premonition... He felt as if there was a thunderbolt about to strike him from above.
The screen flashed, and then a large amount of text appeared: "In-line reading of '思' '兔'."
The protagonist of this world is named Leng Meier, the illegitimate daughter of the Emperor and the former Prime Minister. Although she didn't experience rebirth or transmigration, her beauty was stunning, capable of making any man who saw her want to marry her and have children with her.
"Wait a minute!" Ye Zhizhou interrupted the information and took a deep breath. "Marry her? Have children with her?"
The screen emitted a gentle glow and remained silent as a chicken.
Ye Zhizhou had come to understand the quirkiness of the system. He proactively requested, "First, give me the background information of this world."
The screen flashed, and the text changed.
Once upon a time, there was a large continent with several countries, and one of them, known as the "Bright Moon" country, was the most powerful, occupying the largest and most fertile land in the center of the continent. The daughters of Bright Moon were brave and skilled in combat. The sons of Bright Moon were wise, good at managing households, and capable of having children. The children of Bright Moon were all exceptionally intelligent and adorable. Together, they were building a beautiful matriarchal utopia.
Matriarchy... Thunder struck, and Ye Zhizhou was dumbfounded, unable to speak. Men having children... He could still have children in this lifetime! What was even more terrifying was that if his lover followed him here, then his lover should also be able to...!
The screen transformed into a beam of light, and a Resolute Heirloom Pill was delivered to his mouth by the considerate system. Ye Zhizhou clenched his teeth and scratched the mirror. "Can't you give me a more normal world?"
A pair of scissors, enveloped in light, was handed to him.
Either die or complete the tasks. Well, he understood now. He wiped his face in frustration and continued to read the plot information.
For generations, the Prime Minister of Bright Moon had always been male and not allowed to marry. The birth of the protagonist was an accident, unwanted and an eternal stain on the Emperor. When emotions were sweet, it was fine, but as feelings faded, and the Emperor acquired new beauties, the Prime Minister and the secretly raised protagonist became thorns in his side.
When the protagonist was seven years old, assassination suddenly struck. The Prime Minister finally gave up on the heartless Emperor, faked his death, and sent the protagonist to his good friend, the leader of the Tian Shan Sect, Xia Qing. He disappeared without a trace. After entering the Tian Shan Sect, not long after, Xia Qing died in an assassination attempt by traitors. Xia Yan Yun, the seventeen-year-old son of Xia Qing, swiftly returned upon receiving the news, avenged his father by killing the traitors, and then ascended to the throne of the leader of the Tian Shan Sect, taking the protagonist as his disciple.
Eleven years later, the now extraordinarily beautiful protagonist, feeling that her martial arts skills were adequate, bid farewell to Xia Yan Yun and set off on her journey, embarking on the path where any male protagonist she encountered would fall for her.
Roaring for justice whenever she saw an injustice, she saved the son of the cult leader, Ke Qi. In a dilapidated temple during a stormy night, she showed concern for a young girl, only to find out that the girl was Ruan Wan, the son of the imperial merchant, disguised as a girl. Out of curiosity, she visited a brothel, only to be noticed by the brothel's boss, Liu Jun, who had an eye for beauty. After leaving the brothel, she was inexplicably chased and jumped off a cliff, where she met the cool and aloof divine doctor, Mu Yan. After her injuries healed, she accidentally joined the military and was favored by the old general, Ying Long, who insisted on betrothing his young son, Ying Qiong, to her. While fighting in a war, she and the enemy prince, Yu Shuang, fell into a trap together, and she ended up capturing his heart. After the war, her identity was suddenly revealed, and the Emperor, impressed by her excellence, sought to win her over, awarding her a formidable shadow guard. Reluctantly, she accepted and named the shadow guard Leng Ye, and unsurprisingly, Leng Ye eventually fell in love with her...
Ye Zhizhou counted on his fingers and then fell silent... A total of nine male leads... The protagonist had remarkable kidneys and stamina.