Chapter 93#
Fu Yucheng leaned lazily against the headboard, turning another page of the book in his hand.
The large bed in the Crown Prince’s palace was warm and soft. Beside the bed was a Tiffany-style antique floor lamp, emitting a soft orange-yellow light that made one feel very relaxed.
Fu Yucheng’s long fingers lightly touched the yellowed pages as he read in a low voice: “…Must have a heart of reverence.”
Just as he finished the sentence, the light gauze curtain of the inner chamber was lifted. Without looking up, Fu Yucheng felt the mattress beside him dip slightly as the other person rustled close.
The clean and cold scent on the youth made Fu Yucheng feel very relaxed: “Finished washing so quickly?”
Bai Mo seemed somewhat dissatisfied, rubbing his chin against his shoulder: “You won’t even keep me company…”
Fu Yucheng closed the book and turned his head to kiss the other’s temple: “How old are you, still needing someone to accompany you while you bathe? Aren’t you afraid of being laughed at?”
Bai Mo buried his face in the side of his neck, breathing deeply of that fresh yet bitter scent: “You have to accompany me forever. Fifty years, a hundred years, two hundred years… in the next life, and the life after that.”
Fu Yucheng did not answer, only sporadically combing through the other’s silver-gray hair, his long fingers slowly threading through the thick strands.
After a long while, he suddenly asked: “Xiao Mo, are you afraid?”
Bai Mo was silent for a moment, then shook his head: “No.”
Fu Yucheng said softly: “Originally, I thought you would object fiercely.”
Bai Mo raised his head, looking at him quietly: “I won’t object… I’ll stay with you.”
Fu Yucheng closed his eyes: “En.”
“I know it’s a matter of great importance, so you can’t tell me the full truth. You mentioned before that you might… might lose your life,” Bai Mo said softly. “But I’m not afraid. Anyway, I won’t let you go alone.”
Fu Yucheng rubbed the other’s hair, unable to say a word.
Although he had successfully obtained the “Grim Reaper’s Wings,” only a Super-S class omnipotent controller could activate the Dyson Cloud weapon system.
As of now, he had not yet successfully advanced.
However, Fu Yucheng had long been mentally prepared and had thought of a countermeasure—controllers near death often burst with terrifying cross-level mental power.
Three months ago, after the two returned from Titan to the Dyson Clouds, Fu Yucheng, under the pretext of maintenance, gathered all nine major Dyson Clouds and the fourteen newly built ones together.
Each Dyson Cloud was a complete hexagonal structure. With all twenty-three clouds locked together, they looked like a massive honeycomb.
This giant deep-space weapon hovered quietly in the Solar System, ready for action.
The main control room for this weapon was in the underground control center of the “Tower of Light.”
By embedding the two peerless Soul Weapons—“Silent Blue Moon” and “Grim Reaper’s Wings”—into the two grooves of the control console, this deep-space weapon would be activated.
But this activation process could only be undertaken by a Super-S class controller; furthermore, this Super-S class controller had to be an omnipotent type.
Because only a Super-S class omnipotent mental power field would be both strong enough and stable enough.
A special-type controller like Bai Mo, even at Super-S class, would not be stable enough and might even destroy the entire weapon system.
Fu Yucheng closed his eyes, his mother’s words echoing in his mind: “You will become a Super-S class controller… You will definitely win, no matter who the opponent is.”
He had to become a Super-S class controller… even if only for a single instant, he could activate the Dyson Cloud weapon system.
Fu Yucheng had once considered keeping this possible cost a secret until the moment of action… but he actually couldn’t harden his heart.
This was not a good sign.
He had been cold-hearted his entire life, yet now he had become weak.
After weighing it repeatedly, he chose to tell the other ambiguously that in the confrontation with Medusa, he might pay the price of his life.
As for anything else, Fu Yucheng didn’t say another word.
At the time, he thought Bai Mo would press him excitedly for answers or engage in some irrational behavior… he had even planned how to respond if Bai Mo went crazy.
But the youth only fell silent for a long time, then whispered: “I understand… I won’t let you go alone.”
When the other spoke those words, there wasn’t even a large emotional fluctuation. Just like years ago, when the boy had extremely calmly analyzed all the pros and cons, willing to trade all his blood for Fu Yucheng to walk out of the desert.
…
Fu Yucheng reminisced about many past events, his fingers slowly combing through the other’s silver hair. Suddenly, his eyes grew a bit moist.
Bai Mo was only twenty-three years old.
Fu Yucheng had always been a person with a heart of stone, extremely determined, doing whatever it takes to achieve his goals. But at this moment, he actually felt a strong urge to ignore everything, to no longer carry this almost suffocatingly heavy responsibility, and just leave with the beloved youth by his side.
They could stay far away from all of this. They could leave the Dyson Clouds, leave the Solar System. They could take the largest and best starship and wander to the edge of the universe, seeing all of vast space-time and the brilliant sea of stars. From then on, one life, one pair, envying only their love and not the gods.
But it wouldn’t work.
It really wouldn’t.
He couldn’t do it…
Bai Mo looked at him and suddenly said softly: “Don’t cry, you still have me.”
Fu Yucheng stared blankly at him, unconsciously touching his cheeks, finding his hands wet. He only then realized that at some point, he had actually burst into tears.
This feeling was truly unfamiliar.
The youth touched the tears on his cheeks with his lips, even offering a faint smile: “Don’t cry. Although you look good when you cry, it makes my heart ache to see it.”
Fu Yucheng closed his eyes and then kissed him deeply.
…
The moonlight was hazy and the night was deep. A long and powerful hand gripped the white gauze bed curtain fiercely… the hand used such force, as if its master were enduring some great pain, or perhaps experiencing some extreme pleasure… After an unknown amount of time, that hand finally relaxed slowly, hanging weakly by the edge of the bed.
Bai Mo carefully moved the other’s arm back under the covers and tucked in the blanket.
Fu Yucheng was clearly exhausted and had actually fallen asleep.
The youth looked down at the other’s quiet and handsome sleeping face, then slowly lowered his head and, with an almost devout expression, lightly kissed that smooth forehead.
Fu Yucheng slept very deeply. Bai Mo held him quietly, his heart as gentle and peaceful as lake water in spring.
In the empty palace, moonlight filled the floor like water, and a few strands of white gauze hanging from the foot of the bed fluttered gracefully in the evening breeze.
Total silence lay between heaven and earth, as if only the two of them remained.
Bai Mo felt the steady breathing of the person in his arms, couldn’t help but remember that it was the same three months ago when they returned from Titan.
During the entire two-week voyage through the vast, deep sea of stars, inside that small spacecraft, they had leaned against each other, sharing every bit of warmth and affection, like a pair of celestial lovers.
That day after their intimacy, the two embraced quietly in the transparent cockpit. Looking at the endless, vast universe before them, Fu Yucheng suddenly asked hoarsely: “Xiao Mo, why don’t you ask me?”
Bai Mo held him tightly, his voice very soft yet firm: “I don’t want to ask… and there’s no need to ask.”
He had actually already guessed that Fu Yucheng’s previous intention to marry Princess Ling Sha was for that “Grim Reaper’s Wings.” As for why the other needed this Soul Weapon, if Fu Yucheng were willing to tell, he was of course willing to listen; if Fu Yucheng were unwilling to tell, then he wouldn’t ask.
Because he had gradually come to understand the other.
He no longer wanted to make things difficult for this person.
Fu Yucheng gazed out at the deep starry sky outside the cockpit and spoke slowly: “Xiao Mo, do you know? Since the Big Bang, the universe has existed for 13.7 billion years, while human civilization is less than ten thousand years old… That is to say, if the universe had existed for only one year, then human history would begin at 23:59:37 on December 31st of that year… those 23 seconds are the entirety of human history.”
Bai Mo also looked at that starry sky and said softly: “En.”
Fu Yucheng was silent for a moment, then suddenly said: “Xiao Mo, let me tell you a story.”
Over the following hours, Fu Yucheng told him much.
He spoke from the famous Kuiper Battle two centuries ago, to that terrifying Type III civilization, to the establishment of the Central Empire, to the break between Rong Qian and Mo Hanchuan, and then to the truth of the “Tower of Light” sacrifices… Bai Mo listened almost in a daze, without interrupting once.
After a long while, Fu Yucheng whispered: “Xiao Mo, do you understand? Once the sacrifices stop, Medusa will come… before it, humanity is as fragile as an egg, nothing at all.”
Bai Mo stared at him quietly, his voice carrying almost no extra ripples: “As long as I’m with you, I’m not afraid of anything.”
Fu Yucheng looked at him for a long time, then slowly shook his head: “…You.”
He spoke no more, turning his gaze toward the deep starry sky.
In fact, Bai Mo knew very well in his heart that Fu Yucheng hadn’t told him the whole truth. He spoke of the Kuiper Battle, of the Medusa civilization, of the Central Empire’s compromises… but he didn’t tell him why he needed to retrieve those Grim Reaper’s Wings, nor did he tell him whether there actually was a way to deal with Medusa.
But Bai Mo knew that Fu Yucheng must have a plan.
Fu Yucheng stared blankly at that seemingly endless, vast starry sky, then suddenly said softly: “Xiao Mo, do you have nothing you want to ask me?”
Bai Mo tightened his arms slightly, his chin lightly rubbing against the other’s dark and soft hair: “No.”
He paused, then added in a low voice: “I believe you. I believe everything you do.”
Fu Yucheng was silent for a long time, then turned over and kissed him.
Under the vast sea of stars, the two did their utmost to feel each other’s warmth… even if humanity had only existed for twenty-three seconds, this current moment was eternity to them.
…
This day, the morning in the White Rose Palace was much quieter than usual. The palace attendants had long been dismissed to the protection zones.
Fu Yucheng was awakened by a rich aroma.
He opened his eyes with great effort. The clock already pointed to 10:30 AM.
Bai Mo walked in and placed the tray in his hand directly onto the small table by the bed, his expression still appearing somewhat embarrassed: “Last night, was I too much… if you’re feeling unwell, don’t rush to get up. Wash your face first and eat something.”
“…I’m okay.” Fu Yucheng sat up, enduring the soreness, took the hot towel handed to him, and washed his face haphazardly.
He handed the towel back to Bai Mo and couldn’t help but laugh: “If Elder Ouyang saw me in this decadent state now, he’d probably have a heart attack from anger… I still remember him calling you a favorite, hahaha.”
Bai Mo also laughed: “Later, this favorite of his actually usurped the throne, which angered him so much he retired to his hometown. He’s probably staying in some industrial zone now.”
Fu Yucheng narrowed his eyes: “Speaking of which, in this current situation, which of us is the favorite? Why does it feel a bit strange?”
“I think both sound pretty good…” Bai Mo blinked.
Fu Yucheng laughed loudly: “Do you want to anger Elder Ouyang to death?”
Tomorrow was the day of Medusa’s ultimatum.
Both of them knew it very well, but they tacitly remained silent about it, just chatting haphazardly about random things, not looking at all like they were on the eve of a great battle.
Fu Yucheng sniffed and lifted the silver cover from the tray, unable to help raising an eyebrow: “Grilled fish? The kitchen staff seem to have all run off; did you make this?”
Bai Mo sat by the bed, forking a small piece of fish and carefully removing the bones: “En, I made it. Don’t you like this a lot? I still remember, back on Earth’s Devil Ice Ocean, we caught a strange fish and grilled it. You were so eager you took a bite and ended up jumping from the heat…”
Fu Yucheng felt a bit embarrassed: “I was hungry.”
Bai Mo remembered something and suddenly showed a faint smile: “That kind of strange fish in the Devil Ice Ocean always comes in pairs. It’s said that after one is caught, the other will circle the nearby waters and never leave, until death. At that time, I already had those kinds of feelings for you, and I even used the fish as a subtle metaphor…”
Fu Yucheng also remembered this and couldn’t help an embarrassed light cough.
Bai Mo looked at him with amusement: “At the time, you were silent for so long I thought you understood and I was very nervous. In the end, you actually said that if that’s the case, then wouldn’t there be another fish under the ice hole, so we should quickly catch it and grill it too!”
Fu Yucheng ate the deboned fish meat and said unclearly: “At that time I was busy dealing with Mei Nianxue, how could I think of so much.”
Bai Mo reached out and used his thumb to lightly wipe the corner of the other’s mouth: “Yu-ge, in the next life, and the life after that, I’ll still remove the fish bones for you… okay?”
Fu Yucheng looked at him and nodded very seriously: “It’s a deal. You’re not allowed to run off.”
The two looked at each other and smiled. While their hearts were incredibly heavy, they felt a strange sense of ease.