Chapter 100#
Side Story
Lu Xing remained silent for a long time, then suddenly reached out and removed the suppressor from the other’s neck.
Fu Yucheng looked at him with some surprise.
Lu Xing gave a slightly dismal smile: “What, did you think I would force you? That would be far too pathetic.”
He paused, then said softly: “Everyone thinks I’m arrogant and caustic, but in truth, I’m just… insecure. They’ve only seen my glamorous side; only you’ve seen my most wretched state. My mother was a low-life whore. You saved me from the darkest corner of the slums, gave me the most tempting hope, and then left me with nothing… I actually understood long ago that my weight in your heart is far less than your weight in mine.”
“Lu Xing…” Fu Yucheng said in a low voice.
Lu Xing looked at him and slowly shook his head: “Don’t pity me, I beg you.”
Fu Yucheng lowered his eyes and stopped speaking.
After a moment of silence, Lu Xing added: “I heard your Twilight Belt reconstruction project is short on funds? In the lake within this ring-shaped rock mountain, the treasures accumulated by sand bandits over a century are submerged. These treasures are enough to sustain you for a long time.”
Fu Yucheng looked toward the cave entrance. Indeed, there was a small lake outside, its surface shimmering under the fierce sun.
He hesitated for a moment, seemingly realizing something: “You’re leaving?”
Lu Xing smiled: “If I don’t leave, am I supposed to stay here and watch the two of you act all lovey-dovey?”
Fu Yucheng had no reply to that, so he asked: “Have you thought about where you’ll go?”
Lu Xing gazed at the sky outside the cave: “I’ll leave Earth and see other places. Titan, the industrial zones, the Kuiper Belt… The world is so vast; there’s bound to be a place where I belong.”
Fu Yucheng didn’t know what else to say, so he nodded.
The two were silent for a moment before Lu Xing suddenly asked: “A-Cheng, can I ask you one more question?”
Fu Yucheng said: “Go ahead.”
Lu Xing paused before asking softly: “A-Cheng, you’re a complex person who rarely acts on emotion. To some extent, you could be called quite heartless. I originally thought you were incapable of loving anyone. That person… what exactly is so good about him? Why do you like him?”
Fu Yucheng was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting this question. He thought for a while and said frankly: “Perhaps it’s precisely because I am too complex that I am attracted to that kind of purity.”
Lu Xing nodded gently: “I see.”
Fu Yucheng was silent for a moment, then suddenly raised his voice: “Stop eavesdropping and come out.”
After a while, there was a rustling sound at the cave entrance, and Bai Mo walked in looking a bit embarrassed: “Yu-ge, how did you know I was outside?”
Fu Yucheng gave a cold snort: “Your other abilities are fine, but your skill at hiding your tracks is truly not up to par.”
Having just heard Fu Yucheng’s words, Bai Mo was in an incredibly good mood. He couldn’t help but lean in and kiss the other’s dark hair near his temple: “Mhm.”
After the kiss, he glanced sideways at Lu Xing, his gaze filled with provocation.
Lu Xing clenched his fists and slowly lowered his eyes, not looking at them.
Bai Mo ignored him and turned to Fu Yucheng: “Yu-ge, the sand bandits’ nest has been found. I’ve already sent the positioning information to the military; they’ll be here soon. But our off-road vehicle is stuck in the desert; how should we get back?”
Fu Yucheng thought for a moment, pressed his thumb and index finger together, and let out a sharp, shrill whistle.
Before long, a melodious, clear cry responded from the sky.
Then, with the sound of massive wings flapping, a huge fire lizard descended from the sky, slowly landing at the cave entrance.
This fire lizard was bright red all over—it was the same mutant little lizard Fu Yucheng had raised back then. Now, it was a full six or seven meters long, covered in crimson scales, and a pair of massive membrane wings had grown from its back. It looked like a fire dragon from ancient Western myths.
The two didn’t delay any longer and mounted the fire lizard’s back. Fu Yucheng hesitated slightly, then looked back at Lu Xing.
After many years, he finally used that distant form of address again: “A-Xing, you… take care of yourself.”
Lu Xing’s eyelids lowered, and his eyelashes trembled very slightly.
Bai Mo unhappily patted the fire lizard’s body: “Xiao Hong, let’s go.”
Xiao Hong flapped its massive wings with a “whoosh” and suddenly took flight.
“A-Cheng, A-Cheng!” Lu Xing suddenly looked up and chased after them in a panic.
But the fire lizard had already flown far away. He could only stare blankly at the sky until that small black shadow completely disappeared into the azure vault.
Lu Xing stood frozen for a long time, then finally, as if losing all strength, fell to his knees.
He suddenly remembered something and, almost in a panic, fumbled in his breast pocket to pull out a small photograph. On that small photo were two teenagers with their arms around each other’s shoulders, smiling arrogantly at the camera against the grimy background of the industrial zone.
That was the entirety of his youth.
Lu Xing stared blankly at the yellowed photo, and suddenly, transparent drops of water began to fall “patter, patter” onto it.
“You already have someone else… but in my life, there will never be anyone else.”
…
One month later.
With a dull “rumbling” sound, a massive white ice palace rose from the ground on the vast ice plains, exactly like the original White Rose Palace.
This place was on the edge of the Devil’s Ice Ocean, with a small portion of the sunset still on the horizon. The warm afterglow of the evening clouds reflected off the ice palace, making it sparkle.
Fu Yucheng couldn’t help but chuckle: “Xiao Mo, such a big spectacle? I don’t think it’s necessary.”
Bai Mo gently took his hand and walked toward the ice palace: “This is the reward you promised me; naturally, you must listen to me.”
Fu Yucheng could do nothing about him and let him lead the way into the ice palace’s bedchamber.
On a rack in the center of the chamber, two sets of extremely elaborate crimson wedding robes hung neatly.
Fu Yucheng looked at the two sets of wedding clothes, caught between laughter and tears: “You’ve had these prepared for a long time?”
Bai Mo felt a bit embarrassed: “Back then, when you said you were going to marry that Princess Lingsha, I was so angry that I locked you up. I thought then, since you’re having a grand wedding, then… have it with me.”
Fu Yucheng stepped forward and touched the smooth, heavy silk of the wedding robes: “These clothes are the ones you prepared then? You actually intended to hold a grand wedding ceremony in the White Rose Palace? Weren’t you afraid of scaring Elder Ouyang to death?”
Bai Mo gave a soft “mhm” and hugged Fu Yucheng from behind: “At that time, I was like a madman, only wanting everyone to know… that you are mine, mine alone.”
Fu Yucheng glanced at him: “Then how come now, there are only the two of us here?”
Bai Mo pursed his lips: “Now, you are already mine. I don’t want anyone else to see you wearing these wedding robes.”
The Emperor’s and Empress’s wedding robes on the rack were exquisitely beautiful. The set belonging to the Empress was clearly more magnificent, complete with a beaded curtain phoenix crown. Every bead on the crown’s curtain was a perfectly round, flawless sea pearl.
Fu Yucheng’s mouth twitched: “I agreed to a ‘grand wedding’ with you, but I never said I’d wear women’s clothing.”
“But these are the rules… and this robe was specially made to your measurements,” Bai Mo argued in a small voice.
Fu Yucheng shook his head: “This is too much… no.”
Bai Mo pleaded with him for a long time, and finding that he still refused to wear the Empress’s wedding robe, Bai Mo could only say aggrievedly: “Then, then I’ll wear it, alright? We’re a pair anyway.”
Fu Yucheng felt both helpless and amused, so he nodded: “As you wish.”
Bai Mo took the Empress’s wedding robe, went behind the screen, and rustled around for a while. His voice sounded a bit pitiful: “…I can’t put it on.”
Fu Yucheng went behind the screen and found that the Empress’s wedding robe was indeed a bit too narrow for Bai Mo. Bai Mo had tried hard for a while but still couldn’t fasten the buttons.
The youth looked a bit dejected, even his silver-gray hair seeming to dim: “Yu-ge, I just wanted a ceremony that belongs to the two of us… Is it really not possible? Please, alright?”
His tone was so pitiful that Fu Yucheng’s heart couldn’t help but soften slightly. He blurted out: “Then… just this once, never again.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Fu Yucheng regretted it, but it was too late.
This Empress’s wedding robe was truly too elaborate and magnificent. The large areas of exquisite embroidery and the beaded phoenix crown were practically priceless. Fu Yucheng was already extremely handsome; now, wearing these robes under the flickering candlelight and swaying beaded curtain, his beauty was almost impossible to look at directly.
Bai Mo stared at him blankly, unable to say a word for a moment.
Fu Yucheng was extremely embarrassed, and being stared at so fixedly by the youth only made it more awkward. He couldn’t help but reach up to take off the phoenix crown: “Forget it, it’s too strange.”
Bai Mo grabbed his wrist and said hoarsely: “Don’t take it off.”
Being stared at like that, for some reason, Fu Yucheng suddenly felt a bit nervous. Then he couldn’t help but curse himself—how could he be getting more and more timid with age! Where was his backbone!
Bai Mo said hoarsely: “Yu-ge, you’re so beautiful like this… no, you’re beautiful no matter what.”
Fu Yucheng lowered his eyes and gave a dry response.
His rare look of being at a loss made Bai Mo’s heart burn with irrepressible passion. He couldn’t help but pull the man onto his lap and examine him carefully.
“Yu-ge… no, Empress. My Empress,” Bai Mo rasped.
Fu Yucheng felt his scalp tingle with embarrassment, almost wanting to flee. But in this situation, he really couldn’t dampen the other’s enthusiasm, so he could only manage an “mhm.”
Bai Mo gazed at him for a moment, then slowly pushed aside the heavy beaded curtain and reverently pressed his lips against the other’s.
…
After a long time, the upper parts of their wedding robes were still neatly worn, while the complex and exquisite hems were messily covered, trailing all the way to the floor… large areas of magnificent gold thread embroidery and inlaid jewels trembled under the dim candlelight.
Fu Yucheng said in a trembling voice: “Xiao Mo… gently, be gentle.”
The youth’s snowy white face was flushed with a faint pink, his eyes dark and moist: “The Empress can’t take it already?”
Fu Yucheng choked, really wanting to curse, but the other did something that made him let out a couple of short, hurried gasps. He couldn’t say a word and could only glare fiercely at the youth, even the corners of his eyes showing a trace of helpless moisture.
As Bai Mo slowly tormented him, he carefully admired his appearance, his hands slowly unfastening the complex buttons of the wedding robe… After an unknown amount of time, amidst the flickering candlelight, Fu Yucheng lay among a pile of messy crimson wedding robes, his eyes tightly shut in helplessness, his whole body trembling very slightly: “Xiao Mo, don’t…”
Seeing his damp eyelashes and that he truly seemed unable to take much more, Bai Mo couldn’t help but lower his head and gently kiss those wet lashes, his heart overflowing with burning love: “I love you… you don’t even know how much I love you.”
Fu Yucheng was silent for a moment, then said softly: “I love you too.”
Bai Mo was stunned, even his eyes turning red. Then, almost losing control, he fiercely claimed his territory… In a whirlwind, Fu Yucheng was like a small boat in a giant wave, floating and sinking involuntarily in the storm—sometimes being lifted to the crest, sometimes sinking into the trough… The two were tightly intertwined, almost losing all track of time…
After an unknown amount of time, Bai Mo was finally satisfied.
He held Fu Yucheng tightly from behind, occasionally pecking and kissing that small dark red mole on the other’s earlobe: “Yu-ge, I’m so happy. I always thought that in your heart, there were too many things more important than me. To have you treat me like this, I’m so happy…”
“Xiao Mo, there are many things that are my responsibility… even if it costs my life, they must be completed.” Fu Yucheng paused, then said softly: “But you are different. You are my only… selfishness.”
Bai Mo trembled very slightly, then buried his head on the other’s shoulder.
For a long, long time, he didn’t speak.
“Now, the Twilight Belt reconstruction project is on track. Before long, I’ll be able to let go. Then we’ll hide our identities and go to many, many places… we can cruise through Saturn’s rings, fly over Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, and hike through Mars’ Valles Marineris…” Fu Yucheng chuckled. “Oh, and I’ve never been to the largest Aubertin Casino in the industrial zone. When the time comes, we’ll pose as wealthy, foolish high rollers and win until the house goes bankrupt… alright?”
Bai Mo held him quietly: “Wherever you go, I will go.”
“We’ll go together.” Fu Yucheng gently stroked the youth’s thick silver-gray hair, his heart filled with overflowing affection.
On the distant horizon outside the window, half of an orange-red sun burned quietly and magnificently.
Bai Mo looked at the sun: “Yu-ge, many years ago, you picked me up in the desert. That day, you walked toward me with your back to the sunset… that was the most beautiful twilight I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Fu Yucheng also looked at the quietly burning setting sun: “It’s not twilight… it’s dawn. Xiao Mo, our life has only just begun.”
(End of Side Stories)