Chapter 36: F*ck… Wei Tingxia! Part 2

Lin Wensi said, “…You sound like you know Yan Xinfeng very well.”

“A little.”

“Then have you met that omega? Forgive my bluntness, I don’t even know his name.”

Wei Tingxia nodded. “I’ve met him.”

Lin Wensi’s gaze changed. “Your Highness, I’m genuinely very curious now about what you’ve been doing these past three years.”

The good news was that this was not really a question, because Lin Wensi deftly let it go after saying it and changed the subject. “I hope he’s still alive.”

About half a month ago, Yan Xinfeng and his omega had been trapped on Insect Mother Planet, and there had been no news since. Lin Wensi had inquired, but only knew that Deep Blue Base was still operating as usual; beyond that, nothing.

Wei Tingxia smiled. “I hope he’s still alive too.”

…

…

That night, Wei Tingxia sat cross-legged on the bed, a half-tube of nutrient solution in his mouth, sending a message to Yan Xinfeng.

[Still alive?]

Yan Xinfeng replied: [I only broke your window. You’re not seriously hoping something happens to me, are you?]

[This is routine concern,] Wei Tingxia typed rapidly. [Did Lin Wensi contact you before?]

…

Yan Xinfeng fell silent.

Wei Tingxia chuckled, and at that moment System 0188 spoke: [I’ve found a few potentially useful data points.]

“What is it?”

[Over the past eighteen months, Yan Xinfeng’s assets had several fixed expenditures going to arms manufacturing factories, welfare institutions, and some personal accounts. I traced a few of those accounts and found slight connections to the outer domain rebels.]

Oh?

Wei Tingxia tossed the nutrient agent packaging into the trash, shifted to lie down. “Yan Xinfeng is connected to the rebels?”

[Possibly,] System 0188 did not give a definitive answer. [All confidential info isn’t linked to any networks, so I can’t probe further. You need to return to Deep Blue Base again.]

“You can do it once I go back?”

[Don’t underestimate me.]

With that, System 0188 went offline temporarily, and Yan Xinfeng replied at the same time. [He’s sick.]

Three short, forceful words that fully displayed the indignation and anger of an alpha.

[He just really likes me.]

Yan Xinfeng did not reply but directly initiated a comms call. Star pirates calling imperial people were not particularly cautious, but Wei Tingxia still answered.

“Do you want to hear what you’re saying?” Those were Yan Xinfeng’s first words after the connection.

Wei Tingxia laughed even more happily. “I didn’t say anything wrong. He really does admire me.”

“Yeah, right. He admires you so much, and he’s a soldier too. How could I dare hand you over to him?” There were sounds of mecha clashing chaotically on Yan Xinfeng’s end. “Baby, you can’t act like we’re divorced just because we haven’t gotten registered yet.”

He tried to resolve the issue through reasoning, but Wei Tingxia said, “I’m an imperial citizen now, and so is he. The two of us really could get registered.”

The sounds of the mecha battle abruptly stopped. Yan Xinfeng went quiet for two seconds, his tone thick with killing intent. “To me, he’s already dead.”

Wei Tingxia raised an eyebrow. “Does that mean you’re willing to kill for me?”

Yan Xinfeng laughed.

He said, “Xiao Xia, I’d do anything for you. Killing is just one of them.”

It was an utterly casual statement, offhand and plain, something he said without thinking, blurting out what he had always done, with a hint of sorrow mixed in.

He was willing to do so much for Wei Tingxia, yet Wei Tingxia had not even realized it.

Wei Tingxia’s heart beat a few beats faster. His fingers unconsciously traced the patterns on the bedsheet, and his voice lowered. “If you say that to others, you’ll scare them.”

Yan Xinfeng laughed smugly. “You’re not others. Even if you really were an Alpha, really the son of that bullshit emperor, you wouldn’t be scared. You’d just want to kiss me.”

He knew Wei Tingxia too well; affection was woven into every word.

Wei Tingxia shook his head helplessly and changed the subject. “Lin Wensi wants to recruit you?”

“I know.”

“And what’s your reaction?”

“My reaction?” Yan Xinfeng thought for a moment. “My reaction is to blow up his base.”

That was hardly friendly.

Wei Tingxia set the topic aside for now. “What are you doing?”

“Tuning up the mecha,” Yan Xinfeng said. “And checking the base’s personnel movements.”

Checking personnel movements at the base meant Lin Tao’s matter could not be hidden much longer. When Wei Tingxia had planned their escape back then, he had forced Lin Tao to defect from the base. Her name was surely on the list.

Yan Xinfeng was no fool. He would discover the clues sooner or later.

So Wei Tingxia needed to return to Deep Blue Base as soon as possible.

…

This was not a difficult task.

When Wei Tingxia told Lin Wensi that he would not be returning that night, Lin Wensi’s eyes clearly lit up.

“Are you going to see that Omega?” he asked.

More or less. Wei Tingxia mumbled ambiguously without denying it.

So Lin Wensi said, “Do you need me to send someone to follow? I mean, to be careful of any accidents…”

If something happened to Wei Tingxia in the Border Military District, Lin Wensi would bear the blame. If the Old Emperor took the opportunity to make trouble, the Border Military District would be in danger.

“You can send someone to follow,” Wei Tingxia understood his concerns. “Just keep their distance. I’m not sure how Deep Blue feels about you.”

That was a generous and kind way to put it, but Lin Wensi knew better.

He shook his head, his voice low. “Extremely bad.”

Wei Tingxia tsked lightly. “That’s trouble, then.”

Lin Wensi said nothing. He turned to watch another patrol of mecha landing, his back looking a bit forlorn.

He had spent his whole life in the Border Military District, defending the Empire’s borders against Zerg and rebels. The rewards the nation gave him were not generous—not even trust.

“I hope everything turns out well,” Lin Wensi said. “They haven’t done evil; it’s just a difference in stance. Things shouldn’t be this tense.”

Wei Tingxia said nothing. Half an hour later, the mecha powered up and began its first warp toward Deep Blue Base.

…

The base’s on-duty sentry detected the rapidly approaching mecha signal first.

As he drew near, Deep Blue Base’s defense array activated instantly. Several tractor beams shot out silently, weaving into a net that precisely locked onto the uninvited guest.

Wei Tingxia did not force his way in. He maneuvered the mecha to a halt and switched to the two-way channel. [This is the Empire’s Border Military District, requesting permission to land.]

After a burst of static, the sentry responded. [We don’t welcome the Empire.]

[I wish to speak with your leader.] Wei Tingxia said.

He leaned back in the mecha cockpit, gazing from afar at the exquisite and dangerous defense array outside Deep Blue Base, his eyes full of appreciation.

It was his handiwork. Normally, Wei Tingxia could choose to breach it directly, but this time he came as the Empire’s Second Prince, so he had to observe basic etiquette.

The sentry was unmoved. [Reiterating, we don’t wel—]

[—Get someone over here,] Wei Tingxia interrupted his refusal. [I’m the Empire’s Second Prince. I’m Wei Tingxia. I need to talk to your leader.]

One of those words must have struck a nerve with the sentry.

[Please wait.]

Three minutes later, Deep Blue Base initiated a video comms request.

Wei Tingxia clicked accept. The video connected successfully, and thirty seconds later, Scarface appeared in the center of the screen, his jaw on the floor.

“What the f… Wei Tingxia!”

After a string of filthy curses, Scarface finally cleared his throat and shouted that fateful name.

Wei Tingxia lounged comfortably in the pilot’s seat, raised his right hand, and waved at him. “Hello!”

Behind him, dozens of imperial mecha stood ready, their hulls gleaming with cold, hard metal sheen, energy faintly gathering in their attack arms.

This did not look like he had come to talk. It looked like he had come to attack the base.

Scarface felt like he must not be awake. Otherwise, why would he see that Omega who had lorded over the base for three years, now bearing the title of Empire’s Second Prince, leading a mecha force to block their doorstep?

What was this? Had news of their rebellion against the Empire leaked? Had the Old Emperor sent people to wipe them out?

Or had he planned ahead, sending his own son as a mole three years early? A father that ruthless—no wonder he had succeeded…

In extreme shock, people could not control the wild thoughts in their heads. Scarface’s mind raced farther and farther, like wild horses breaking free, covering hundreds of light-years in an instant.

“I suggest you calm down. Your thoughts are too noisy,” Wei Tingxia’s voice came through, yanking Scarface back to reality.

He shuddered, his tone unsteady. “I thought I was dreaming.”

“This is reality,” Wei Tingxia said with a grin. “Long time no see. Let me in.”

“What do you want?” Scarface was on high alert. “Our boss’s fate is unknown right now. You cold-hearted… O… A… man, don’t even think about getting one step closer to him!”

He still remembered Yan Xinfeng’s orders. He could even waver back and forth on Wei Tingxia’s gender three times in extreme tension—a true dedicated employee.

Wei Tingxia was very satisfied. “I know he’s not dead. Let me in now.”

Scarface refused. “What makes you think he’s not—”

Just as they were about to argue over whether Yan Xinfeng was dead or not, the man in question suddenly appeared on the screen. His sharp gaze swept over Wei Tingxia before he unhesitatingly pressed the button. The defense array shut down, and the entrance opened.

“Come in,” Yan Xinfeng said. “Just you. No one else.”

“Sure.”

The mecha landed smoothly in the base. The moment the hatch opened, Wei Tingxia jumped straight into Yan Xinfeng’s arms.

“Hello!” He smiled beautifully and nuzzled Yan Xinfeng’s neck, planting a kiss there. “Did you miss me?”

Yan Xinfeng had run all the way from the monitoring room to the landing field and steadily caught him. He twitched his lips. “No.”

“Don’t lie. Liars have accidents on the battlefield,” Wei Tingxia said. “I forgive you this once. Next time, tell the truth.”

“Fine. I did.”

It had only been a little over a day since they last saw each other, but he really had missed him. Wei Tingxia was alone in the military district, and Yan Xinfeng worried, even though he knew Wei Tingxia did not need his worry.

After telling the truth, Yan Xinfeng asked, “What are you here for?”

Wei Tingxia was still hanging off him. Yan Xinfeng steadily supported the back of his knees with one hand, the two pressed together like intertwining vines.

“Something came up,” Wei Tingxia said vaguely. “Somewhere private.”

So Yan Xinfeng carried him toward the command level.

The instant they left the landing field, System 0188: [Distance meets standards. Scan commencing.]