Inside the imperial palace, a holographic communication was underway. The figure projected in midair was Zhou An.
Zhou An’s eyes were brimming with tears as he dabbed at them with a handkerchief, crying bitterly.
“Marshal Wei Qing must have been deceived by that wretch. On the surface he acts submissive and obedient but behind people’s backs he’s always scheming, always thinking up despicable tricks.”
“Back then, I treated him so well and yet he spread rumors about me behind my back.”
“Seeing how happy he was smiling during his wedding livestream, I felt so unwilling to accept it. I know that, given my status, I’m not worthy of the Marshal but if anyone should marry him and obtain happiness, it ought to be someone like you, Zhuge Jin.”
“Our fates are both so bitter.”
Zhou An spoke with deep emotion, his words full of sorrow and grievance and Zhuge Jin could not help but be affected by them.
He comforted Zhou An, saying, “An’an, don’t worry. Today, he and Marshal Wei Qing will enter the palace together. I’ll help you teach him a lesson. Tell me about him and we’ll expose Zhou Younan’s hypocritical mask together!”
Zhou An wiped his tears again with the handkerchief, concealing the slight curl at the corner of his lips.
He nodded. “Alright. Thank you, Zhuge Jin. You’re my best friend.”
Zhuge Jin hurriedly replied, “There’s no need to be so polite with me. Back then, when I was alone and had no one to rely on, it was you who took me in. We’ll be friends forever.”
“Mm.” Zhou An revealed a gentle smile.
In the morning, after finishing breakfast, Zhou Younan and Wei Qing headed together to the Central Empress District.
In the early days of the establishment of the Terren Empire, the Empress District had once been the residential area of the most eminent figures in Torikis society. Every duke, marquis, count, viscount and baron owned a considerable tract of land within the Empress District.
As the Terren Empire developed, the old aristocracy fell into decline and the descendants of some noble families had long since faded into obscurity.
What remained in the Empress District were numerous buildings of traditional architectural style. As the central zone of power within the Terren Empire, this area continued to be favored by the new elite.
At the heart of the Empress District lay a vast circular area with a diameter of fifty kilometers, known as the Central Empress District. The imperial palace was located here. At present, His Majesty, the Empress and the Second Prince resided in this district, while the Eldest Prince was away studying abroad.
After disembarking from the aircraft, Zhou Younan was met with rows upon rows of towering trees standing upright like gigantic soldiers. They were arranged in neat formation, forming a forest.
The air was exceptionally fresh. Lush branches spread overhead and birds flitted and leapt among the trees. The sight eased the tension in Zhou Younan’s heart, if only slightly.
The Earth came to a standstill largely because the environment had been destroyed.
From the beginning of the Interstellar Era to the present day ornamental green plants had always been among the most expensive species in the galaxy. The wealthier a place was, the more greenery it possessed.
Interstellar citizens had long grown accustomed to judging a person’s wealth by the number of ornamental green plants surrounding their home.
Perhaps because of this, people in the galaxy also used the scent of an Omega’s pheromones to assess their value.
During the seven years he spent on the garbage planet, Zhou Younan had never once seen a single ornamental green plant.
He had only seen a few seedlings being cultivated when he was at the research institute.
On Yao Star, there were a few green trees outside the Zhou family residence. He had heard that Zhou Quan found the rustling sound of the leaves irritating and forbade planting too many of them.
Ever since marrying Wei Qing, the number of green ornamental plants Zhou Younan had seen had increased exponentially. Today, he had actually seen the legendary “forest.”
The door of the aircraft closed with a sharp click.
Wei Qing walked toward Zhou Younan with a smile.
Today, he wore a black shirt paired with a vivid red suit. His long, straight legs were perfectly proportioned and the muscle lines beneath the suit trousers were displayed to their fullest extent.
Bold, dazzling, eye catching, radiant in every sense.
Zhou Younan lowered his head and glanced at his own legs.
Mine are normal proportions. Wei Qing’s are the abnormal ones, he comforted himself.
Wei Qing took Zhou Younan’s hand. “No need to be nervous. We still have a long way to walk before we reach the palace.”
The two of them stepped into the forest, where intelligent flying robots came forward to scan their faces in greeting.
Walking side by side along the forest path, Wei Qing spoke to Zhou Younan.
“I like coming to the palace. I like walking along this forest road that’s so long it makes people impatient before entering the palace. Do you know why?”
“Why?”
“Because I belong to the forest.”
Wei Qing blinked at Zhou Younan playfully.
Zhou Younan guessed, “You… like forests?”
“I come from the forest.”
“What do you mean?”
Zhou Younan asked but Wei Qing only tugged at the corner of his lips, smiling without answering.
“You were born in the forest?”
“Nope.”
“Did you grow up in the forest?”
“I grew up in a village.”
“Does your home also have a vast forest?”
Wei Qing looked at Zhou Younan with a teasing gaze. “With that little brain of yours, you could never figure out the answer.”
Little brain?! Yours just looks small because your shoulders are too wide!
Zhou Younan felt indignant inside but he didn’t continue asking.
Wei Qing said his favorite colors were red, yellow and blue and now he claimed to come from the forest. Forests were green and green wasn’t one of Wei Qing’s favorite colors.
So Zhou Younan concluded that the “bad guy” Wei Qing was deliberately being mysterious. Saying things like “I come from the forest” was probably just his way of amusing himself and passing the time by teasing him.
While he was thinking this, the view ahead suddenly opened up into a sea of flowers.
Flowers of every color bloomed across the grassland and faint strands of floral fragrance lingered in the air. The blossoms nodded repeatedly in the wind, as if welcoming the arriving guests.
“Wow.. ”
“Achoo!”
The first sound came from Zhou Younan; the second was Wei Qing sneezing.
Wei Qing covered his nose, his face full of distaste.
“It’s beautiful,” Zhou Younan took a breath, “and it smells nice, too.”
Wei Qing pulled Zhou Younan in front of him and lowered his head, leaning closer.
Zhou Younan thought he was about to kiss him and raised a hand to push him away.
But Wei Qing was much stronger and he couldn’t break free at all.
Left with no choice, Zhou Younan closed his eyes.
Warm breath brushed against his neck. Wei Qing’s voice fell into his ear.
“Zhou Younan, do you know what your own pheromones smell like?”
The vibration of his voice fell onto sensitive skin, sending a tingling sensation rippling like scattered beads.
Keeping his composure, Zhou Younan replied, “Grass and wood.”
“Do you know which kind of grass and wood?”
“I don’t know.”
“It’s catnip,” Wei Qing said lightly. “Catnip is my favorite scent.”
What was catnip? Zhou Younan had never heard of such a thing.
“So pheromones can smell like catnip, too.”
Wei Qing’s tone was cheerful.
“To me, you smell far better than those flowers.”
Zhou Younan didn’t respond at all. He knew very clearly that his pheromones did not smell like catnip.
It was only because of the capsule’s effects that Wei Qing perceived his pheromones as catnip.
He felt a bit relieved that when Wei Qing said these words, he didn’t look at him sincerely with those emerald green eyes.
He lifted his head, wanting to look at the sky to ease the discomfort in his heart but what appeared in Zhou Younan’s vision were seven enormous buildings floating in midair.
The Seven Continents Imperial Palace was a colossal palace complex built entirely upon an artificial gravity control system.
The palaces were equipped with the latest quantum force field shields and were divided by function into the Royal Mecha Dock, a Small Scale Spatial Jump Point, the Interstellar Garden, the Holographic Council Hall, the Quantum Computer Control Room, the Royal Spaceport and the living quarters.
It was only after boarding an AI controlled aircraft and ascending into the air that Zhou Younan clearly saw the full panorama of the Nine Continents Palace complex.
The black matte walls were built with the latest quantum level component technology, allowing the wall density to be adjusted at any time. Outside the walls, slender green lights flickered endlessly, resembling blood flowing within the structure.
Each palace took the form of a vertical diamond shaped prism, standing upright in the air like a sharp blade.
The aircraft stopped before one of the palaces. The black walls began to flow, forming step after step that hadn’t existed before, extending upward into the interior of the palace.
“This is the council hall. I’ll go see His Majesty first. The aircraft will take you to the Empress. The Empress isn’t a bad person, so don’t be nervous. I’ll come find you very soon.”
Wei Qing squeezed Zhou Younan’s hand. He stepped out of the aircraft and onto the black stairs.
The Seven Continents Imperial Palace represented the fusion of technology and power, a symbol of the Empire’s might and interstellar civilization.
After staying in Wei Qing’s home for so long, Zhou Younan had almost forgotten about the lightning fast development of modern technology.
Still, compared to the gloomy black diamond shaped palaces, Zhou Younan preferred houses that rested firmly on the ground.
“The door is about to close.”
At the warning sound, Zhou Younan withdrew his gaze.
Before the aircraft doors shut, a plump little boy zipped inside on a small, foot operated flying device.
He stepped down from it and sat across from Zhou Younan with casual familiarity.
With his arms crossed, he asked in a challenging tone, “Hey, are you Wei Qing’s new wife?”
The boy had short pink hair, large golden eyes and wore a simple T shirt and shorts. He looked about five or six years old.
Zhou Younan immediately guessed his identity: the Second Prince, Jonathan Long.
“I am.”
The Second Prince examined Zhou Younan with a strange expression for a long while, then suddenly leaned closer.
Zhou Younan didn’t move. The chubby little hand of the Second Prince reached over Zhou Younan’s shoulder and plucked out a long golden hair.
His eyes widened as he exclaimed in surprise, “This is Wei Qing’s hair!”
Zhou Younan felt a bit awkward. It was probably left on his shoulder earlier when Wei Qing had leaned close.
After saying that, the Second Prince pouted, lowered his head and sat back down, looking crestfallen.
“Why are you unhappy?” Zhou Younan asked.
“I obviously wanted to marry him.”
The Second Prince spoke astonishing words and Zhou Younan almost choked on his own saliva.
“I want to touch Wei San!” the Second Prince continued. “Wei Qing said only if I marry him and become his wife can I touch Wei San.”
Zhou Younan: “….”
So that was the reason.
In the Second Prince’s eyes, Wei Qing himself was less attractive than Wei San.
The thought was oddly amusing.
When Wei San was mentioned, the Second Prince’s expression immediately relaxed.
After all, he was just a child, his moods came and went quickly.
Forgetting his sadness entirely, he asked Zhou Younan with some pride, “Do you know Wei San?”
“I do,” Zhou Younan replied.
The Second Prince’s smug expression crumbled slightly. He stared suspiciously. “You do?!”
“Wei San is the Cheetah that Wei Qing raises.”
The Second Prince became both indignant and a little jealous. “You’ve only been married to Wei Qing for two days and you’ve already seen Wei San?!”
Zhou Younan put on the expression he had just learned from Wei Qing. He lifted one corner of his lips and smiled without speaking.
“Then… have you touched him?”
The Second Prince blinked his big eyes and scooted closer to Zhou Younan.
“No. I only saw him from a distance. It was at night and he scared me.”
Disdain flickered in the Second Prince’s eyes. “You’re so tall, how can you be such a coward?! When I first saw Wei San, I wasn’t scared at all.”
“…” Zhou Younan didn’t really feel like engaging with this show off of a Second Prince anymore.
The Second Prince rummaged through his backpack and took out a tiny glass bottle, no thicker than a finger and handed it to Zhou Younan.
“This is the gift I’m giving you to mark our meeting. The next time you see Wei San, you must touch it and then pull a little bit of Wei San’s fur and put it in here. When we meet again in the future, you absolutely must bring it back to me.”
The second prince’s eyes were brimming with anticipation.
Zhou Younan froze in place.
Touch Wei San?
Was Wei San something that could be touched?
“I…”
Zhou Younan was just about to refuse when the aircraft came to a halt.
The door slid open and a prompt chimed softly: “Mr. Zhou, we have arrived at the Interstellar Garden.”
“I’m getting off now.” The second prince stepped back onto his pedal powered flyer. With undisguised excitement, he waved energetically at Zhou Younan.
“Next time, you absolutely have to give it back to me and you have to tell me what it feels like too!”
With a sharp “whoosh,” the second prince shot out of the aircraft.
“Wait! I don’t.. ”
He was far too fast. Before Zhou Younan could finish his sentence, the prince had already flown far away.
It was obvious the second prince hadn’t heard a single word of refusal.
Zhou Younan lowered his head and looked at the glass vial in his hand.
His brows knit tightly together.
Touch Wei San? Pluck its fur?
The image of those cold, vertical pupils flashed through his mind and Zhou Younan felt an instinctive resistance.
He decided he would tell Wei Qing about this matter and let him decide how to handle it himself.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
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← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Escape from Zhou familyChapter 2 · Bride To BeChapter 3 · Attacked on SpaceshipChapter 4 · FiancéChapter 5 · Wild one Tastes betterChapter 6 · Cousin, Zhou MoChapter 7 · Wedding DressChapter 8 · Wedding Hall disputeChapter 9 · Marshal Fainted!Chapter 10 · CATNIP!Chapter 11 · His Pheromone is Catnip!Chapter 12 · The show beginsChapter 13 · He likes me!Chapter 14 · He is crazy!Chapter 15 · Auditorium, I brought it. Do you like it?Chapter 16 · Only I can bite your lipsChapter 17 · Wei Qing grabbed his wristChapter 18 · Your posture just now was perfect for kissingChapter 19 · This is… Wei Qing’s leopard?Chapter 20 · Let’s do what newlyweds should do.Chapter 21 · Release your pheromones and overwhelm meChapter 22 · Zhou Younan, I miss you.Chapter 23 · The promise to bite your lip isn’t just for yesterdayChapter 24 · You beast! You enormous beastChapter 25 · My patience is almost at its limitChapter 26 · Touch Wei San? Pluck its feathers?Chapter 27 · Doesn’t Wei Qing like you a lot?Chapter 28 · You’re the dog, your whole family are dogsChapter 29 · How did things turn out like this?!Chapter 30 · Zhou Younan, I love everything about youChapter 31 · Cheetahs do react to catnip.Chapter 32 · Second PrinceChapter 33 · Immersed in the fluffy touchChapter 34 · What can you do to help if you stay?Chapter 35 · Sand WormChapter 36 · I gave Wei Qing a capsuleChapter 37 · His vulnerable period has arrivedChapter 38 · Reason has long since been burned awayChapter 39 · I can’t believe I did that! I’m insane!Chapter 40 · The person I want to protect is my wifeChapter 41 · Zhou Younan, you can only be mineChapter 42 · Until the last star in the universe is annihilated.Chapter 43 · The light in Wei Qing’s eyes dimmed.Chapter 44 · Family?Chapter 45 · The green capsule was in his palmChapter 46 · Zhou Younan was filled with fearChapter 47 · Brother won’t abandon youChapter 48 · What a piece of trash!Chapter 49 · Zhou Younan, are you looking at me?Chapter 50 · Zhou Younan feared Xu QiChapter 51 · Zhou Younan, you’re such a foolChapter 52 · You really don’t want to marry me?Chapter 53 · My braceletChapter 54 · Zhou Younan, I can’t mark youChapter 55 · A symbol of brotherhoodChapter 56 · How old are you?Chapter 57 · Abnormal!Chapter 58 · Did you give Wei Qing the capsules from the tin box?Chapter 59 · Brother, I’ve made up my mindChapter 60 · Doing things for you is my wishChapter 61 · You’re the first person I’ve ever liked, Wei Qing.Chapter 62 · Childhood sweetheartChapter 63 · He can’t live without youChapter 64 · Teacher RigenChapter 65 · Were they running togetherChapter 66 · You two kidnappersChapter 67 · GiftChapter 68 · Don’t look back, just carry onChapter 69 · Maurice Jin is already a thing of the past for meChapter 70 · I finally found youChapter 71 · Who’s your wife?Chapter 72 · How would he interpret his leaving?Chapter 73 · Wei Qing was Wei San?Chapter 74 · Maurice Jin had been assassinated?!Chapter 75 · Turn your face towards the sunChapter 76 · Wei Qing’s eyes were brightChapter 77 · Pheromones are a double edged swordChapter 78 · Don’t stareChapter 79 · He’s the Empire’s MarshalChapter 80 · So WeakChapter 81 · Are you alright?Chapter 82 · Was he really that kind of person?Chapter 83 · He remembered his forgotten goalsChapter 84 · Come on, shoot me in the heartChapter 85 · Why are you unhappy again when I touch you?Chapter 86 · Don’t you even like me anymore?Chapter 87 · Wei Qing transformed into Wei San.Chapter 88 · I’ll give you my love, and I’ll give you my lifeChapter 89 · Just do it for me, okay?Chapter 90 · Don’t bother me until you explain clearlyChapter 91 · I want to stop your time when you still love meChapter 92 · Damn it! Zhou Younan! You just waitChapter 93 · From the very beginning, I had no choiceChapter 94 · From the very beginning, I had no choiceChapter 95 · A gunshot rang outChapter 96 · I grew up in the research instituteChapter 97 · You complete liar! You’re despicableChapter 98 · You will always be the only one in my heartChapter 99 · You are actually the same as meChapter 100 · Zhou Younan, I’m leavingChapter 101 · How could a big cat possibly resist the allure of catnip?Chapter 102 · The EndChapter 103 · Extra: 1