“M-Master?” Yan Su waited for a full two minutes, but Lin Jianheng didn’t reply.
Her heart grew more and more anxious, and tears began to well up in her eyes.
“Master, what are you thinking?” She felt an urge to drop to her knees.
Yan Su crawled over to Lin Jianheng’s side, but Lin Jianheng still didn’t react, her eyes staring blankly at the spot where Yan Su had been standing.
“Master… sob, Master, I-I was wrong, sob, I can get rid of them, I’m sorry…” All Yan Su wanted was for Lin Jianheng not to abandon her. She threw her arms around Lin Jianheng’s thigh, tears streaming down her face.
“Master, please don’t throw me away, I’ll do anything…” Just say something to me, she thought, terrified. Yan Su tried to nuzzle against her, and finally, she felt the leg she was holding tremble.
“No, no, no, get up first. Why are you kneeling? It’s not your fault.” Struck by lightning a second time, Lin Jianheng snapped back to reality and pulled Yan Su to her feet.
She pulled her into an embrace, still seeming unsure. After a long hesitation, she finally placed her hand back on Yan Su’s back.
“Stop crying for now, Sister. I-I just don’t know what to do. I never thought…” Never mind that Yan Su was on the verge of fainting from crying in Lin Jianheng’s arms.
Lin Jianheng herself was about to cry.
She certainly wasn’t a sixteen-year-old kid, nor was she a twenty-two-year-old fresh college graduate.
But even in her life as “Lin Jianheng,” she had never considered the issue of childbirth.
Let alone getting the person she liked pregnant.
Wait, how did she even get pregnant?!
She had never marked Yan Su deeply, and she had been very careful about it after regaining her memories.
“I didn’t expect it either, but it just…” Yan Su sobbed. Hearing Lin Jianheng call her “Sister” was like grabbing a lifeline, and she clung to her desperately.
She took Lin Jianheng’s hand and placed it on her abdomen again.
Yan Su was so slender that even with two little cubs inside, her belly was still flat. As Lin Jianheng touched it, she couldn’t feel anything unusual.
“They’re doing well in there. Master, there are two of them, a pair of little sisters.” Yan Su’s voice, tinged with tears, was as fragile as a vase that might shatter at a touch, breaking with a gust of wind.
But her words sent a jolt through Lin Jianheng’s heart, leaving her utterly stunned.
“Would you like to see them? You can see them with your spiritual power…” Yan Su was still sitting on Lin Jianheng’s lap.
If Lin Jianheng could just see the two eggs, their shells still soft, snuggling together, surely she wouldn’t be so cruel to her?
Truly desperate, Lin Jianheng followed Yan Su’s suggestion and extended her spiritual power.
Yan Su guided her spiritual power into her own body, and in a moment, it had indeed passed through her skin.
And into her… uterus.
Lin Jianheng saw the two tiny eggs.
One large and one small, they were pressed closely together, rising and falling with Yan Su’s breath as if they were alive.
It softened the heart of the panicked Lin Jianheng, who couldn’t help but move closer, her spiritual power brushing against the pair of little sisters.
The bigger one must be the older sister, and the smaller one the younger?
These were her children with the person she loved. What would they be like?
Lin Jianheng withdrew her spiritual power and pressed her hand against Yan Su’s belly.
She accepted it. Sensing this, Yan Su couldn’t help but cry again.
A hot tear fell on Lin Jianheng’s face, then slowly cooled. Lin Jianheng wrapped her arms around Yan Su’s waist.
She gently stroked her back.
“I’m sorry, Sister. I was so scared just now, I really didn’t know what to do… I didn’t respond to you right away. You must have been terrified too, right?” No matter what, Yan Su was pregnant, and with her child.
Lin Jianheng would definitely have to treat Yan Su even better.
“Sob…” Her abdomen was warm.
The place that most needed warmth was being gently pressed against by Lin Jianheng’s face. The chill on her back was soothed away.
Her master truly was the best. She didn’t punish or scold her; instead, she comforted her.
She would definitely protect their children well.
“What do you think?” Lin Jianheng warmed her for a while, coaxing the tear-stained Yan Su until only her cheeks were red, then changed positions to hold her.
“What does Master think?” Yan Su nestled in Lin Jianheng’s arms, asking for nothing more. “If Master wants to keep them, we’ll keep them. If not, we’ll get rid of them.”
Lin Jianheng hadn’t expected Yan Su to hand the decision entirely over to her.
But this was Yan Su’s own body, her own womb. She should be the one to decide whether or not to keep these children.
Although that brief internal glimpse had made Lin Jianheng inevitably develop some feelings for the two unborn eggs.
They were still just eggs. They hadn’t developed brains or sensory organs yet, so they couldn’t be considered sentient life.
Yan Su was the most important.
Lin Jianheng thought of Yan Su’s body. As a woman herself, how could she not know the risks of pregnancy?
Although she was now living in her original world.
Research on childbirth here was quite thorough. The maternal mortality rate was the lowest among all medical fields, there were almost no long-term side effects, and technology assisted the delivery process. The size of the eggshells was not excessive relative to a woman’s body, unlike the terrifying situation in “Lin Jianheng’s” world.
The Empire even had excellent welfare benefits. Each newborn could receive an annual childcare subsidy of 50,000 to 100,000 yuan, with policies varying by star system. Education up to middle school was free.
Yet Lin Jianheng still carried the fear of such matters from her other world.
When she was Lin Jianheng, she had never considered having children.
For one, she would have to bear the risks herself—her career, her body, future expenses… She didn’t love an unborn child enough to give up herself.
For another, she didn’t want her child to become the next her. To work herself to death her whole life, only for a premature death in her youth to become a form of release.
Perhaps it was because of these things that she was avoiding making a choice.
But she also felt from the bottom of her heart that this matter should be based on Yan Su’s wishes, not anyone else’s. They shouldn’t control Yan Su’s body.
Lin Jianheng closed her eyes, then had Yan Su sit across from her, took her hands, and adopted a serious tone.
She had to forcibly pull Yan Su to her level, to make her realize that this was her own body.
Her master had made so many decisions for her; it was time for her to decide for herself.
“Sister Yan, there’s something I have to tell you.” Seeing her so formal, Yan Su’s pupils dilated slightly, her heart leaping into her throat.
Lin Jianheng stroked the back of her hand as a form of comfort and softened her voice a little.
“I’ve been hiding it from myself for a long time, and I’ve hesitated for several days. To be honest, I wasn’t ready.”
“My original plan was to take you to a restaurant, to see a very romantic night view, maybe even a fireworks show.” It was something Lin Jianheng had always dreamed of in her other world.
Only back then, she had dreamed of someone, who in her original world was by default a man, doing such a thing for her.
Now, she could finally be the one creating the romance, but she had messed it up again, starting her confession before she was ready.
Hearing this, Yan Su’s agitated tail calmed slightly. It wasn’t twitching as fast anymore; it was perked up, waiting for Lin Jianheng to reveal the answer.
“And of course, I had to prepare a gift for you. A ring I wanted to give you, hidden inside your favorite chocolate, new clothes and jewelry, I even thought about buying us one of those flying cars that can soar into the sky.” Lin Jianheng was nervous as she said all this.
She was observing Yan Su’s reaction.
Yan Su’s eyes widened, her body unconsciously leaning forward, and a light began to shine in them.
One point, two points… they sprinkled across the bottom of Lin Jianheng’s heart like stars.
Lin Jianheng had already heard the answer.
How wonderful.
Lin Jianheng let out a sigh of relief and raised her hands to cup Yan Su’s face.
“There just wasn’t time to prepare, because I want to tell you now.” They already had children.
Although it was just an accident—Lin Jianheng was certain Yan Su hadn’t betrayed her, and even more certain that they hadn’t performed a deep marking.
She’d have to ask Lu Yuanchen about the specific mechanics, but that could wait.
In this moment, Lin Jianheng only wanted to say: “Yan Su, Sister Yan. My succubus, my little cat. I like you.”
“Not the kind of ‘like’ I’ve always said before, that’s the like for a friend… I’m very clear now, my feelings for you are romantic love. I love you, Yan Su.”
“I’m not your master. I’ve told you that from the very beginning. We are two equal people, and I shouldn’t control you. Maybe we can continue that sort of thing, as a kind of… kink. But Yan Su, I love you. You are not my appendage, you are your own person.”
Perhaps Lin Jianheng’s inner thoughts weren’t so noble. Perhaps the relationship they had built wasn’t so healthy.
But the words she spoke still sounded beautiful. That should be enough, right?
Lin Jianheng exhaled, concealing a certain emptiness in her heart, and gave Yan Su’s cheek a gentle squeeze.
“So, Sister. What do you think? Do you like me too?” Voicing her own feelings was definitely a huge step forward.
Lin Jianheng’s eyes slowly curved into a gentle expression.
She thought, as long as Yan Su liked her too and agreed to be with her, she probably wouldn’t be so insecure as to need control to bind Yan Su.
With her face squeezed like that, two streams of tears fell from Yan Su’s eyes, scalding Lin Jianheng’s hands.
She was ashamed of it, which made her cry harder, and the more she tried to hold it in, the more the tears flowed, seemingly endless.
She was also anxious to tell Lin Jianheng her answer.
The confession she had dreamed of, a fantasy so extravagant she herself had thought it laughable.
Today, it had actually come true.
She had to tell her master her thoughts quickly, to repay this kindness.
“No rush, and don’t cry. It’s bad for your health.” Lin Jianheng had already gotten Yan Su’s answer.
She patiently wiped the tears from the corners of Yan Su’s eyes, over and over.
Yan Su moved closer and closer to her, her face constantly kissing Lin Jianheng’s palm.
Lin Jianheng remembered how Yan Su would always rest her chin in her hand when they first met.
It was the same now. Her little cat was still her little cat, no matter how much time had passed.
Only the emotional meaning had changed, becoming deeper and richer.
“Sob…” Yan Su had already curled back into Lin Jianheng’s arms, her face buried in her neck as she sobbed.
The embrace was an answer. Lin Jianheng patted Yan Su’s back, coaxing her to stop crying.
But five seconds later, Yan Su held her breath, forcibly suppressing her sobs. In a voice like a kitten’s, she told Lin Jianheng, “Master, no, Lin Jianheng. I like you too.”
From this day on, they were no longer master and little cat.
They could continue to play at being master and pet, could continue to place shackles on each other.
But they now had a deeper relationship.
She was her girlfriend.
“Sister…” Lin Jianheng was still moved by this straightforward confession.
So this is what it’s like to be in love, she thought. Hearing her say she likes you makes you happy too.
“Can we be together?” Yan Su nuzzled against Lin Jianheng, eager for a deeper connection.
Lin Jianheng’s next words were even more astonishing. “I want to marry you.”
No wonder I had a fiancée before, Lin Jianheng mocked herself internally.
She really was the type who couldn’t hold back at all, who desperately wanted to be bound to whomever she liked, locked together for a lifetime.
Yan Su looked up in astonishment, meeting Lin Jianheng’s extremely serious eyes, and tears welled up again.
“But this doesn’t count as a proposal.” Lin Jianheng kissed the tip of Yan Su’s nose, making her eyes red from the kiss.
“I haven’t prepared anything; it’s too rushed. I just wanted to tell you my resolve…” Maybe she really was a fool for love, but in this moment, all she wanted was to be with Yan Su forever.
“Okay. Master… whatever you say is fine.” Yan Su closed her eyes and locked herself back into Lin Jianheng’s embrace.
So, did that make her Lin Jianheng’s fiancée?
So she really could become Lin Jianheng’s new fiancée. Kicking out that old, unknown fiancée from wherever she came from.
“Are you still going to call me Master?” Lin Jianheng wanted to hear a different form of address.
Yan Su was quiet for a moment, then spoke shyly. “Wife?”
“…Ahem.” Lin Jianheng was taken aback. Yan Su’s voice exploded right next to her ear, the impact was immense.
It made her desperately want to hear Yan Su call her that in bed.
Actually, “Master” wasn’t bad either. They had been calling each other that for two months.
Now, there was no need for a distinction of status. “Master” was just a term for flirting.
“Are you used to calling me Master in front of others?” Lin Jianheng thought, if Yan Su was used to it, maybe they shouldn’t change it.
“Very used to it.” Yan Su hugged Lin Jianheng, a wave of reassurance washing over her.
“And I like it very much.” Calling her Master always gave her a sense of belonging.
It settled her heart, telling her who she was.
Now, it had taken on a different meaning.
A master could also be a wife.
Yan Su couldn’t help but break into a wide smile.
She rarely showed such a smile, and even without looking, Lin Jianheng could feel the joy radiating from the bottom of her heart.
She had nurtured her sister, her lover, from such a cold, indifferent person into someone so cute and warm now.
What a sense of accomplishment. She liked her so much.
Lin Jianheng nuzzled Yan Su back, kissing her hair. The most stressful event of the past few days had reached the best possible conclusion.
“Alright, Sister, my favorite Sister.” Lin Jianheng smoothed Yan Su’s hair.
“So, can I ask you that question again now? Do you want to keep our children? If not, I’ll go with you to the surgery and help you recover. If you do, I’ll work even harder to take care of you, and our children.”
Lin Jianheng’s desire to marry Yan Su truly wasn’t because of the children.
She had already planned to propose on the day of her confession.
She had only just found out they were having twins.
“Can I really be the one to decide?” Yan Su was still a little apprehensive. She needed some time to get used to this new identity.
“Of course. You’re my lover. Although they’re our children, this is your body. If I wanted our children, I should have let you mark me in reverse.” Not use love as an excuse to make Yan Su carry and give birth to children for her.
“That’s so nice…” Yan Su once again felt Lin Jianheng’s surging, overwhelming love.
She loved with such sincerity, melting away the shackles in Yan Su’s heart bit by bit.
It gave Yan Su, who had been repeatedly humiliated for as long as she could remember, the strength to want to make her own decisions.
“Then, Master. I want to keep them, if the doctor says my body can handle it.” Yan Su closed her eyes and exhaled.
She had completely fallen into her own personal paradise.
“Okay. Then let’s go ask.” Lin Jianheng said, poking Yan Su’s waist.
“You’re not allowed to hide things from me anymore, okay? Not telling your… wife, about something this big. What were you thinking?” Her tone was slightly scolding, but it was a tone Yan Su adored.
It was love that made even a reprimand sweet.
“Wife~ Wife~” Yan Su couldn’t help but nuzzle against Lin Jianheng, calling out. “I won’t anymore. You love me so much…”
She had hidden it out of insecurity.
But now, she was Lin Jianheng’s one and only.
As for the person in her dreams, her own past… let it go with the wind, just like Lin Jianheng’s former fiancée.
They really were so similar; no wonder they were drawn to each other.
“I’ll try my best to love you. But this is the first time in my memory, too. If there’s anything wrong, you have to tell me.” Lin Jianheng didn’t rush to recall things about her former fiancée.
She could access that part of her memory now, but she had rediscovered her ability to love. Looking at an ex now would only add unnecessary trouble and conflict.
Having Yan Su was enough.
“I’ll also try my best to respond to you, to love you. Master, Madam Wife…” That last term made Lin Jianheng’s ears burn.
“O-okay, we should go in and hear what Sister-in-law has to say!” Lin Jianheng simply picked Yan Su up and carried her directly into the examination room.
Just before they stepped completely inside, Yan Su, with her arms around Lin Jianheng’s, kissed her earlobe.
This was her best master, partner, lover, and wife.
Lu Yuanchen saw the two of them come in, all lovey-dovey, and knew she was really about to gain a pair of juniors.
What would they be to her? Nieces?
Lu Yuanchen sent the news to Jian Lingxuan, then blocked her.
Everyone knew how Jian Lingxuan would roar. Lu Yuanchen couldn’t be bothered. She was actually looking forward to the little cubs.
It wasn’t common for couples this young to have children. In the Empire, where the average lifespan was two hundred years, people usually started having kids after the age of thirty-five.
Jian Zunqiu and Song Qinghua were forty-two when they had Jian Lingxuan. At over seventy, they could technically still have more, but with such an outstanding older daughter and a younger one they’d picked up, they had no plans for more.
But in a way, perhaps Yan Su wasn’t only in her twenties, so it was still appropriate.
Speaking of which, there had been many similar incidents in the past. Because the age gap for childbearing was so large, sometimes an older sister wouldn’t know about the birth of a younger sister. Later, the younger sister would fall in love with the older sister’s daughter, causing a complete meltdown for the family.
After that, the Empire added a law prohibiting relatives within three generations from having children. How they dated, however, was up to them.
So the first thing Lu Yuanchen had actually done was run a genetic match on Yan Su and Lin Jianheng.
It was muscle memory. In reality, Yan Su was a succubus, so there was no way she could have any blood relation to the royal Jian Heng.
The result was as expected.
Only then did she check Yan Su’s various physical conditions, her suitability for pregnancy, and a risk assessment. The last thing she checked was the condition of the fetuses.
“Sit.” Lu Yuanchen took off her glasses and displayed the results in front of the newly lovey-dovey couple.
She remembered a time when she and Jian Lingxuan had gone through this phase.
Now, they were lucky if they didn’t get on each other’s nerves.
Lin Jianheng held Yan Su’s hand, rubbing it to ease her tension.
She was nervous too.
Deep down, she hoped these babies could be kept and grow up healthy.
“This is Miss Yan Su’s last physical data report. And this is the report from today’s examination.” Lu Yuanchen knew the two were “illiterate” in this area, so she immediately began to explain.
Actually, Lin Jianheng could already understand most of it, but she wasn’t certain and wanted to hear Lu Yuanchen’s explanation.
“Congratulations. She’s no longer malnourished, and not so anemic anymore.” Lu Yuanchen’s mind was still wondering how many times they had marked each other.
It was a good thing Yan Su was with Jian Heng, their royal family member, the original new King.
Her pheromone quality was top-tier in the entire Empire, her special ability level was high, and the Mana she provided was sufficient.
Otherwise, how could she support a succubus of Yan Su’s level?
“Although I don’t recommend getting pregnant right now, my assessment is that if we terminate it now, the damage to her body would be greater.” If Lin Jianheng continued to feed her succubus wife well, Yan Su would fully recover in a while, and there wouldn’t be any significant impact.
Unlike an induced abortion, which would at least alter her body’s hormone levels.
“We’ve also decided to keep them.” Encouraged by Lin Jianheng, Yan Su expressed her thoughts.
“That’s fine too. Next, let’s talk about the gestational age of the children, and the reason for the pregnancy.” Lu Yuanchen displayed the imaging data of the two eggs.
The current methods were indeed combined with spiritual power, which could minimize damage to the body.
Lin Jianheng had just seen them. Now, seeing a clearer image, even a picture of the cubs through the eggshells, she couldn’t help but feel her heart race.
These were her and her lover’s daughters.
“This is my judgment, and it might be wrong, but your situation is indeed a bit strange. We don’t see many succubi, so there’s a lot we still don’t understand.” Lu Yuanchen displayed a comparison photo of the two sisters.
“This one, let’s call her Sister Cub for now.”
What a cute name. The two of them thought so at the same time, and after an inadvertent glance at each other, they shared a smile.
Lu Yuanchen’s teeth ached from the sweetness. She wanted to call Jian Lingxuan over, but then found Jian Lingxuan annoying and loud.
But on second thought, Jian Lingxuan was probably already on her way.
A miscalculation. She shouldn’t have shared her trashy drama ideas with Jian Lingxuan earlier.
“Sister Cub is already two weeks old. Her various organs are developing vigorously, she’s in good condition, a very healthy little baby.” It was still impossible to tell if she was a succubus. Lu Yuanchen hoped at least one of them wasn’t.
“Little Sister Cub is only five days old, and many parts haven’t formed yet. I suspect they were conceived separately. This situation isn’t unheard of, but combined with the fact that you didn’t perform a deep marking, it’s really quite rare.” For the first time in a while, Lu Yuanchen’s interest was piqued—an interest beyond trashy drama.
“I’ll have to communicate with my mentor and the others for a while. For now, just listen to my hypothesis.” Lu Yuanchen glanced at her optical computer.
Great, her mentor was also rushing to her hospital.
It was going to be very lively here in half an hour.
She’d better hurry up and educate the new couple on pregnancy precautions.
“Xiao Heng, how much of your memory has returned? Where should I start with the pregnancy precautions for you?” A portion of the precautions were for the other partner, so Lu Yuanchen asked first.
“I’m not sure, Sister-in-law. You should start from the beginning.” Lin Jianheng was afraid of misremembering.
“Alright then. First, for the pregnant mother. Miss Yan Su, what you need to pay attention to is maintaining a cheerful mood, good health, getting appropriate exercise, and not overworking yourself. There are no major requirements for intercourse, just don’t be too rough. And eat well; we’ll give you a diet plan later.” These were the few precautions for Yan Su.
Yan Su nodded, carefully recording everything in her spiritual space.
After she finished recording, she looked and realized there wasn’t much she needed to do.
She was dating her master now, so her mood was very cheerful every day.
With her master’s feeding, she was eating well and was very healthy.
And every day, they engaged in not-so-rough but very stimulating exercise.
“As for Xiao Heng, first, you need to feed the two little cubs with your pheromones at least twice a week. Marking can count, but at Xiao Heng’s level, I’d recommend you directly use your spiritual power to guide the pheromones and feed them one-on-one. This will best ensure the two children don’t fight over food, to prevent Little Sister Cub from having too many nutrients stolen by Sister Cub and becoming a weak fetus.”
“Secondly, your partner is a succubus, so you can’t stop marking her either.” Lu Yuanchen sighed.
Now there were three people waiting for Lin Jianheng to hand over her pheromones, crying out for food.
Lin Jianheng was going to be their mommy.
“Then you need to remember these check-up times. Because your twins have a gestational age gap, they need check-ups on different days. For a single individual, check-ups are needed in the second, fourth, twelfth, and twentieth weeks. The gestation period for a typical Imperial being is twenty-four to twenty-six weeks. You need to be especially careful as the due date approaches.”
Lin Jianheng calculated that since her two cubs weren’t conceived on the same day, she and Yan Su might as well just live in the hospital.
Lin Jianheng also diligently recorded the dates. Thank goodness the optical computer’s calendar could record them, otherwise she’d have a real headache.
“The gestation period will make your partner more sensitive, suspicious, nervous, and anxious, sometimes accompanied by nesting behavior. You need to spend more time with her, help her relax, and do your best not to make her sad.”
It was only now that the two of them realized Yan Su’s previous unconscious nesting behavior came from their Sister Cub.
Based on the timeline, it seemed Little Sister Cub was conceived on that day?
What was all this…
“Also, you are not allowed to perform a deep marking on her during the pregnancy. I would recommend you use a contraceptive inhibitor before marking these next few times, but let’s talk about that after my mentor arrives.” That was about it for the precautions.
This was knowledge she had learned during her clinical studies. As for how to handle some of the minor details, Jian Zunqiu and Song Qinghua could teach their daughter when they arrived.
“Will the inhibitor affect the Mana?” Lin Jianheng had no objection to using an inhibitor, she was just afraid Yan Su wouldn’t get enough to eat.
“No, it’s not the same thing at work.” Lu Yuanchen also found the diet plan and handed it to Lin Jianheng.
Yan Su was the one going through the trouble, so it was only right that Lin Jianheng did the caretaking.
Lin Jianheng didn’t think anything of it, but Yan Su was craning her neck, curious as well.
Lin Jianheng took the diet plan and showed it to her lovely lover.
“I’ll cook for you. Or we can do it together. We can also ask my mommy for advice,” she whispered to her.
Yan Su’s tail wagged cutely, patting Lin Jianheng’s back as she agreed.
“Those are the precautions. Now you can prepare an incubator, blankets for them, little clothes, and toys.” No one had expected Lin Jianheng to be the first of her generation to have children.
In their eyes, Lin Jianheng was still a child herself.
Yan Su’s eyes lit up as she listened.
In her life before, there was only darkness and her master, Lin Jianheng.
Every day she looked forward to spending time with her master, looked forward to her master’s touch, loving kisses, markings…
She had never thought that there could be more to her life.
Now they had children, and she could prepare things for their future.
She was no longer that succubus pet with no future.
“I’m so excited.” Lin Jianheng poked Yan Su, her smile a little strange.
It was as if she wanted to laugh out loud but was trying hard to control it.
She looked a little creepy.
But Yan Su didn’t mind; she leaned against her, very fond of it.
The only one in the room who was creeped out was Lu Yuanchen, who turned away. Maybe Jian Lingxuan should hurry up and get here.
The little couple whispered to each other, and time passed quickly.
Arriving with Jian Lingxuan were Jian Zunqiu and Song Qinghua.
The three of them had never expected their baby sister to actually be so “indiscreet” as to get someone pregnant.
“Mom, Mommy, Sister.” Lin Jianheng was as meek as a little chick now, and she even knew to shield Yan Su.
Song Qinghua slapped the wailing Jian Lingxuan into Lu Yuanchen’s arms, then cleared her throat with Jian Zunqiu. They took a step back, afraid of scaring the timid succubus girl.
“Have you two decided?” They couldn’t make the decision for the two children either.
Lin Jianheng and Yan Su exchanged a look; at least they weren’t here to forcibly separate them.
“We want to keep the children.”
Both mothers breathed a sigh of relief.
Only Jian Lingxuan over there was attempting to have an opinion, but she was pushed back down by Lu Yuanchen.
“Can we see the video? How many are there? When will they be born?”
“We need to buy clothes, shoes, and a cradle for our granddaughter, and an incubator…”
Mothers who had raised children were indeed different, much more experienced, and already starting to prepare all sorts of things.
“That was close…” Yan Su exhaled, her scratching on Lin Jianheng’s shoulder making her itch.
“They wouldn’t force you to not have the children,” Lin Jianheng lowered her voice, but the room was so small that the two mothers still heard her.
【Not necessarily.】 The less nervous mothers communicated via spiritual power.
【Yeah, if Xiao Heng wasn’t of age, we would have had to stop them.】 But now that she was an adult, they would let them be.
Lin Jianheng should have the ability and determination to take on this responsibility.
As for Yan Su, since she had made the decision to keep the children, she wouldn’t easily run away again.
Unless they had encountered the kind of heartless succubus found in literary works.
Jian Zunqiu gave Yan Su another look. Seeing that Yan Su was much more at ease than before and was sticking close to Lin Jianheng, she relaxed slightly.
Probably not.
Song Qinghua, upon hearing it was twins, wanted to go find Lu Yuanchen to see the images.
She turned her head and saw Lu Yuanchen pinning her older daughter to a seat, holding her collar for a light kiss.
Their lips touched, with no further action. Jian Lingxuan’s eyes still held a hint of resentment, which was extinguished by a gentle press from Lu Yuanchen.
Song Qinghua silently turned back. Now both of their little cubs were settled, and the littlest cub even had her own children. No wonder some couples had another child in middle age.
But they were going to have granddaughters now, so helping to raise them would be fine too.
Five minutes later, Lu Yuanchen’s mentor burst into the examination room, frantically wanting to see the case file. When she saw Jian Zunqiu and Song Qinghua in the room, she immediately became embarrassed and reined in her temper.
“How is it your daughter’s business?” she said, scratching her head as she greeted them. Her black-hearted student hadn’t told her earlier.
“She’s grown up, she’s capable,” Jian Zunqiu said faintly, a remark that made even Lin Jianheng shrink her neck.
“Mentor.” It was Lu Yuanchen who came out from inside and explained things to her mentor.
“A succubus, huh. I’ve actually seen one or two cases of pregnancy without deep marking before. I’ve also seen someone with several partners, so one pregnancy had three eggs with different gestational ages. But the two combined, especially with a whole week’s difference…” The mentor had never seen such a low-probability event.
“Can I study you? Miss Succubus.” The mentor was like a crazy old lady, her hair flying wildly, leaning in front of Yan Su, her goldfish-like eyes looking not quite right.
Yan Su was startled by her and quickly hid behind Lin Jianheng.
Lin Jianheng took her hand and politely refused. “I’m sorry, Professor. It’s better to let my girlfriend have a peaceful pregnancy.”
She was also afraid that this mentor Lu Yuanchen had invited would do something strange.
“Just a spiritual power examination. Of course, it’s up to you,” Lu Yuanchen explained from the side.
Her mentor was a bit eccentric, but her professional ability was beyond question.
Lin Jianheng turned her head and saw Yan Su meet her eyes, then shrink down like a rabbit.
Lin Jianheng shook her head slightly. “If you really want to examine her, let’s talk about it later. Although it was an accidental pregnancy, we both plan to keep them, and we want to take good care of her.”
“Of course, of course. Little Lu, how’s that research of yours coming along?” The mentor didn’t insist on it and went off with her hands behind her back to hurry Lu Yuanchen along with her thesis.
The family looked at the new babies’ images for a while longer and were all preparing to go home.
The door to the examination room was opened once again.
This time, it wasn’t with urgency, but with a touch of solemn composure.
The group all looked towards the door. A royal cavalryman entered, paused for a moment in surprise, but quickly composed himself, doffed his hat in salute to everyone, and then walked up to Lin Jianheng, leaning forward to show respect.
“Miss Jian Heng, Her Highness Xilan invites you to the palace now for afternoon tea.”
It was only Saturday, not the time she had arranged with Jingyuan. Lin Jianheng even opened her optical computer to check.
“Are you sure it’s now?” She wanted to go home and spend time with her wife.
“Yes, Miss Jian Heng. To be precise, Her Highness Xilan hopes you can arrive before two-thirty.” The cavalryman even handed over a rather formal invitation.
Never mind how Canglin Xilan found her. Why change the time so suddenly, and without advance notice?
“Fine, I’ll go. You can go back.” Lin Jianheng accepted the invitation.
The cavalryman didn’t move, but instead raised his eyes, this time looking directly into Lin Jianheng’s. “Aren’t you coming with me?”
It was already two o’clock. They should arrive at the palace just in time.
“No. A little later should be fine. Go back and report.” Lin Jianheng dismissed the man, and when he was slow to leave, she even used her spiritual power to give him a push.
“We’ll go with you, Xiao Heng.” Jian Zunqiu placed a hand on Lin Jianheng’s shoulder, her brow furrowed.
For the past two days, besides dealing with the traitors in her own company, she had been investigating the forces involved with Yan Su. The more she investigated, the murkier it became, and she needed to discuss her findings with the royal family.
“Mommy’s here.” Song Qinghua looked around. Lin Jianheng’s other side was occupied by Yan Su, so she simply put her arm around Yan Su’s shoulder.
Yan Su’s tail went rigid, and her whole body suddenly tensed up.
She really was an innocent little cat, wearing all her feelings on her face.
That was good. This kind of affection seemed unlikely to deceive their daughter.
Money was a small issue; the two mothers were more worried about Yan Su running off with the cubs.
“Master…” Yan Su twisted her tail anxiously and hugged Lin Jianheng.
Jian Lingxuan, having finally escaped Lu Yuanchen, also came to join the fun. “Baby sister, I want to go with you too.”
Although she seemed to be the weakest one in their group. Her level was lower than her sister’s and sister-in-law’s, about the same as her mothers’, but she lacked experience.
“Since she’s going to talk about that matter, our whole family should have the right to know, right?” Lin Jianheng didn’t hesitate either, and with a wave of her hand, she directly agreed that her whole family could go.
Then Lin Jianheng looked Jian Lingxuan up and down.
Jian Lingxuan tilted her head in confusion.
“Sister, why don’t you stay here with Sister-in-law? Having Mom and Mommy with me is enough.” This time, it really wasn’t because Lin Jianheng was annoyed with Jian Lingxuan or didn’t want her to know something.
Jian Lingxuan and Lu Yuanchen were part of that five-person team.
Lin Jianheng was afraid that if Jian Lingxuan came with her, it would be seen as a sign of betrayal, and she would be targeted.
Her two mothers were clearly old hands; they dared to directly confront Canglin Jingyuan, so they certainly weren’t afraid of one Canglin Xilan.
“Why the different treatment? Then, then why don’t you leave your succubus behind?” Jian Lingxuan still couldn’t bring herself to call Yan Su “sister-in-law.”
“I’m afraid you’ll bully my wife.” Lin Jianheng said it very naturally, pulling Yan Su into her arms and walking away with her.
Originally, Lin Jianheng hadn’t really wanted to take Yan Su.
It was just that when that cavalryman entered, his posture was very strange.
He had glanced at Yan Su first before greeting them.
And when he left, too, he gave Yan Su another look.
Yan Su’s mind was all on Lin Jianheng, so of course she didn’t notice.
Lin Jianheng was now extremely attentive to her pregnant fiancée, very protective of her.
She thought about taking her to the palace, but then hesitated.
The Canglin clan had no reason to harm Yan Su, and with incidents like the AI Butler, the palace might be a bit safer.
At least the security forces were sufficient.
Lin Jianheng still couldn’t completely convince herself.
“Master.” Yan Su suddenly grabbed Lin Jianheng’s hand, their fingers silently intertwining.
“My special ability can help you. Take me with you.” Her eyes were full of seriousness and determination.
It was as if she had the spirit of someone ready to face death, as if she had to be with Lin Jianheng no matter what.
Not even life or death could separate them.
“…Okay.” That’s right. Lin Jianheng squeezed back, a little harder.
She realized she always thought of Yan Su as cute and petite.
In need of her care and help, and she was happy to provide it, sometimes she really did treat Yan Su like her little cat.
But, Yan Su was an adult with superb spiritual power and special abilities. Perhaps a bit frail, but her heart was full of Lin Jianheng’s comfort.
Yan Su’s special ability was even rule modification, which had helped her a lot in the past.
From what perspective did she think Yan Su could only hide behind her?
Yan Su could clearly protect herself too.
“Let’s go together, Sister.” Whether it was gods or ghosts, they would witness it together.
Jian Heng had been to the palace many times, for training, for lessons, to hang out with Li Zhaoge and Xilan…
In the past, Jian Heng rarely saw Canglin Zhixian in the palace. It seemed likely that Canglin Zhixian’s body had been possessed from a very early stage.
Lin Jianheng presented the invitation, though she could have gotten in without it.
The cavalryman looked at the three people behind her, paused for a moment, probably searching the Star Net for someone in charge.
A minute later, he made a “please enter” gesture.
Lin Jianheng, familiar with the route, led her family and lover through the palace.
“It’s changed a bit.” Jian Zunqiu and the others had also been to the palace before.
As nobles who were closer to the royal family, especially during the reign of the previous King, Jian Zunqiu and Song Qinghua had to enter the palace almost once a year.
Sometimes for a friendly chat, sometimes to discuss official business.
“This is Jingyuan’s taste, a bit of a cold and strange style, not like our Xiao Heng.” Song Qinghua followed behind some of the others, occasionally glancing at the added decorations.
Jian Heng and her birth mother, Canglin Diexun, had very similar tastes. They both had a bit of a collector’s habit; everything had to be in a set to be good.
Since Lin Jianheng’s return this time, this particular quirk had lessened considerably.
Her two mothers thought she had grown up, little did they know she was just used to being poor and couldn’t afford to buy things in sets.
“That’s not necessarily her doing. I think this looks a lot like something Her Highness the Princess added.” Lin Jianheng pointed to the blatant “Earth architecture” in the center of the garden and guessed.
Her best friend hadn’t had a hard life in her previous world, so it was normal for her to start splurging after gaining wealth and power.
Yan Su was silent the whole time, sticking close to Lin Jianheng.
The palace gave her a very oppressive feeling, her sixth sense was going wild, and she had a feeling that something big was about to happen.
It was the first time she had such a vague intuition, so vague that she didn’t even know if she should run or stay at this moment.
Lin Jianheng held her waist tightly, holding her hand, which gave her a little sense of security.
The group passed through a corridor and finally saw the back garden.
Canglin Xilan was sitting not far away, with several attendants behind her preparing tea and snacks.
The cavalryman who had been sent to find Lin Jianheng was also kneeling nearby.
“Xiao Heng, you’re here.” As they approached, Canglin Xilan put down her teacup, glanced at the people beside Lin Jianheng, her gaze lingering on Yan Su for a moment longer.
“And you brought so many guests. How do I remember we agreed on a private talk between us?” She didn’t look surprised, and there was not much accusation in her tone.
On the contrary, the seats were all ready. Five chairs were placed to the side, and when the attendants saw that only four people had come, they removed one and put it aside.
“Didn’t you prepare for them, Teacher?” Lin Jianheng guessed that the moment her mothers returned to the Capital Star, Canglin Xilan knew they would come along to discuss this matter. As for changing the time, Lin Jianheng didn’t want to guess anymore. It was better to be told early than to not be told at all at the end of the week.
“You’re right. Everyone, please sit.” Canglin Xilan had even left a seat for Jian Lingxuan, but she hadn’t guessed that Lin Jianheng wouldn’t let her come.
Actually, there shouldn’t have been so many secrets between them. It all stemmed from Jian Heng’s transmigration.
Before that, the royal family had trusted Jian Heng. Some things weren’t said in time simply because Jian Heng hadn’t reached the right age, and there were concerns that might never materialize.
“And this is?” Xilan had never formally met Yan Su.
“Family.” Lin Jianheng pulled Yan Su a little closer to her.
Xilan nodded and exchanged a glance with Yan Su.
Actually, Lin Jianheng didn’t know that of the five chairs today, the other two were prepared for Jian Lingxuan and Lu Yuanchen.
If Lu Yuanchen didn’t come, perhaps it would have been Li Zhaoge instead.
But it seemed Li Zhaoge had failed.
Her sister really was a petty person. So what if she concealed an order once? Li Zhaoge’s direct superior wasn’t her, Canglin Jingyuan. From beginning to end, Li Zhaoge should have only taken orders from Jian Heng.
“Let’s start with the question you’re most interested in. Xiao Heng’s transmigration. I told you, Xiao Heng, that you chose to transmigrate out of your own will. But it seems my word alone isn’t enough, and Xiao Heng doesn’t quite believe it.” Xilan gave an apologetic smile.
“Of course, you yourself anticipated that the future you would be like this. Before we sent you away from this world, we made more than ten plans, one of which was that you would return having completely lost your memory of us.”
Lin Jianheng held her hot tea and stared at Xilan, wondering about the credibility of her words.
Since she was about to show her evidence, it shouldn’t be false. “Was my experience during this time arranged by you? Was the Sigu incident, and the matter of my body being possessed, also something I planned?”
Was she crazy in the past? It didn’t seem likely.
Lin Jianheng checked her own memories and found that parts of her memories in the palace were blurred, leaving only the parts where she trained with Li Zhaoge and listened to Xilan teach astronomy and geography.
Strange. Hadn’t “Jian Heng” unsealed all her memories?
Lin Jianheng tried to access the matter of her former fiancée and could see the fiancée’s face.
Seeing it, Lin Jianheng couldn’t help but tremble for a moment. The other person really did look a lot like Yan Su, at least three parts in spirit, just without a tail and with different hair and eye colors.
“Don’t be hasty, Xiao Heng. Let’s look at the evidence first. Actually, we weren’t that clear on Sigu’s activities. Except for my sister’s accident a few days ago, nothing else was part of the plan.”
Xilan opened a projection.
In the projection was a young Jian Heng, about fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing a knight’s uniform she had gotten from Li Zhaoge, impatiently flicking her sleeves.
“Hello, my future self.” Her voice was unusually calm, as if she had rehearsed for a long time, having long foreseen this day.
“What I’m about to say next, I hope you can believe me. I know you’re suspicious; you are me. So I will use the name my mother… let’s call her mother for now… left me as our brand. If you don’t have past memories now, you should be called Cang Jianheng or Lin Jianheng. I haven’t decided on the surname yet, but it will come from one of those two sounds.” The young Jian Heng’s words were packed with information.
Lin Jianheng understood the origin of her current name, and also understood that Jian Lingxuan and the others probably knew this all along.
At the same time, she noticed the young Jian Heng’s phrase, “let’s call her mother for now.” This didn’t sound like it was said because she recognized the two Jian family mothers as her mothers, but rather as if she felt the previous King Diexun was not her mother.
What was going on? Hadn’t the royal family confirmed her identity? If she was the posthumous child of the previous King, why go to such great lengths to bring her back to the Capital Star and raise her with such care?
“I also tried to leave a brand in my mind, but it might not have succeeded. But I believe the name is the biggest proof, and also the most important thing for us as people. You are me, so you should temporarily believe my words.”
Lin Jianheng was indeed getting serious.
This part was completely missing from her restored memories, either sealed or erased.
She folded her hands, propped her chin on them, and leaned forward, listening to the words her six-years-younger self had left for her.
“Let’s talk about the transmigration itself. The Empire has been heavily infiltrated by that thing. Princess Zhixian’s body is repeatedly possessed, its playful messages, the occasional rebellions… The information left by the previous King wasn’t just about bringing me back, but also some orders. I have already seen some of Jingyuan’s results. I don’t know what age you are now, but you should see more.”
“What we are looking for is a way to break the stalemate. If there is a new technology, completely different from what we use now, without spiritual power support, and yet able to completely replace the existing foundation of technology, then we will be less constrained by that thing.”
“Forgive me for using ‘that thing.’ But if you are me, you should already know what it is.”
Mechanical Lifeform. Lin Jianheng answered her past self in her mind.
No wonder she said it was voluntary. It was just to break the stalemate.
Whether it was Jian Heng or Jingyuan, or even the late previous King Diexun, they had all toiled for years, just for the Xuanxing Empire, to eliminate this most threatening internal threat.
And no wonder she had gone to a single-planet era. The technological level of Lin Jianheng’s world was not high, but fundamentally, it was indeed different from the Xuanxing Empire’s technology, which relied heavily on spiritual power interaction.
This was a difference in the development of the technology tree. But the biggest problem was that Lin Jianheng had studied finance, not physics, electronics, or related fields.
“I don’t think this will succeed on the first try. We can’t even be sure, if I do transmigrate, where I will go, who I will become, or how old I will be.” The young Jian Heng in the projection continued.
“If the situation is good enough, when you, which is me, arrive in another world, we will still retain our original memories, intelligence, and cognitive level, and can quickly extract that world’s technology and bring it back for research. A slightly worse scenario, I hope I can at least remember the purpose of this trip.”
Lin Jianheng put down her teacup.
Clearly, she had encountered the worst-case scenario.
“Of course, it’s also not out of the question that after the first transmigration, I remember nothing, live a muddled life in another world, and never remember my original world until I die. Then after returning to our world, I have amnesia again.” The young Jian Heng in the projection sighed.
“Actually, the fact that you can see me in this video probably means we’ve encountered the worst situation. But as long as you don’t dwell on the other world, and remember the technological structure of the other world, it might still be useful.”
Lin Jianheng felt a little like laughing. What could a finance major understand?
What the Empire needed was something to replace optical computers and the Q Net. In Lin Jianheng’s world, that would be 5G base stations and the internet.
“But it’s normal for the first attempt to fail. We will have a second, a third. That’s all, my future self. Be careful of that thing. The Third Empire is not an enemy, but an ally to connect with as much as possible, to fight that thing together.” The young Jian Heng disappeared into the air.
A long silence.
Lin Jianheng stood there, not even blinking. She was the one who had transmigrated; her lover and family could do nothing but wait before she made a move.
Lin Jianheng was just thinking, no wonder Xilan and the others were so wary of her.
Amnesia itself was bad enough, not to mention that Lin Jianheng had only lost her memories of life in the Empire, but still remembered her life in another world.
And, as she was now, she wasn’t necessarily willing to transmigrate back and forth for the Empire again.
She had a family now. A wife, and a pair of unborn daughters.
If she left, what would happen to them?
As for the last thing the young Jian Heng said, Lin Jianheng thought the Empire was already doing that. Jingyuan hadn’t been expanding or counter-attacking much in recent years; she was more focused on cleaning up internal conflicts.
Lin Jianheng didn’t believe that the Mechanical Lifeform, which wanted to replace them, the “old ones,” had only targeted their Empire and not the neighboring Third Empire. Although the Third Empire had a smaller population, their unity was not as strong as theirs, making them easier to break into. They should logically be the Mechanical Lifeform’s second target. So it was suitable to form an alliance, even if only a temporary one.
Lin Jianheng exhaled, and the air finally began to flow again. “A pity. I didn’t retain a single memory of this place in the other world. I had a very hard life, no energy to study those technologies, and my university major was finance.”
Xilan shook her head. “Xiao Heng, we know. This plan was canceled when you were 18. We all agreed it wasn’t safe, and we couldn’t guarantee what you would experience in another world. Your actual transmigration later was not because you were going to find a way to break the stalemate.”
She opened another recording, her sigh growing heavier.
“Actually, I really don’t want to open it. It will be a huge blow to you and me, especially to your lover and family. Do you remember the palace coup two years ago? Xiao Heng. This matter… is absolutely more terrible than you imagine.”
Xilan looked at Lin Jianheng again, her gentle eyes tinged with a hint of pleading. “Xiao Heng, do you really want to see this?”
“I just want to know the truth. If you think this will hurt my family, then…” Lin Jianheng turned her head to look at Yan Su beside her, then at her mothers.
Yan Su’s nails were about to pierce through Lin Jianheng’s clothes; she was clutching Lin Jianheng tightly. And the two mothers shook their heads in unison.
They wanted to know.
Especially the two mothers.
Lin Jianheng turned her head back and nodded to Xilan. Actually, she had already guessed a bit of the truth.
“This is the surveillance footage from inside the palace on the day of the incident. It uses our separate network, and so far, we haven’t found any traces of contamination by Mechanical Lifeforms.” Xilan opened it anyway.
Lin Jianheng prepared herself, and then she saw an attack.
Several guards suddenly mutated, their skin splitting open amidst violent tremors, revealing skeletons with a dull metallic sheen, mixed with some embedded circuits.
Their four limbs rapidly extended, and strange metal supports sprouted from their joints, twisting into asymmetrical postures, like freaks forcibly assembled by something.
Their neat military boots were torn open from the soles, revealing a large proliferation of white bone. Section by section, a mechanized spine protruded from their backs, as if the dead had come back to life, infused with uncontrollable programs and madness.
Some of their faces were torn, one side still a familiar human contour, the other exposing an entire mechanical panel. A cold, glowing red probe extended from an eye socket, emitting a regular yet eerie buzzing sound, as if scanning everyone’s weaknesses.
It caught the Jian Heng of that time, who was walking into the palace, completely off guard.
She was impaled through by a suddenly mutated spine, and by the time she tried to open her special ability for defense, her body was already in pieces.
After that was a great shock to her spiritual power. Without the empathy of being there that day, Lin Jianheng could only tell that her soul was in agony.
Perhaps Lin Jianheng had detached herself; she watched frame by frame with great care.
Before these guards mutated, their eyes had flashed with a strange purple light, the exact same color as the AI Butler’s.
By the time Xilan and Jingyuan arrived, Jian Heng was on the verge of death.
The moment she saw the blood, Lin Jianheng had already covered Yan Su’s eyes.
Yan Su was pregnant with their children now; how could she bear this level of stimulation? She could only hear the sounds of battle.
She pawed at Lin Jianheng’s hand, not understanding, her eyelashes fluttering and tickling Lin Jianheng’s palm.
However, she still couldn’t be completely shielded.
“So my daughter almost died in the palace once?” Song Qinghua couldn’t hold back, slamming the table and rising to her feet. The teacup shattered all over the table, and tea flowed onto the floor.
Lin Jianheng didn’t have time to cover Yan Su’s ears either. The eyelashes under her palm trembled noticeably, and the nails digging into her hand sharpened.
“It’s okay, Sister. I’m fine now, aren’t I?” Lin Jianheng pulled her into her arms, never having expected that her transmigration was to save her own life.
Just watching the first half made this clear. If it wasn’t to save her life, the group would never have activated that originally canceled plan.
Yan Su buried her face in Lin Jianheng’s arms, already in tears. She hadn’t seen it, but she could hear that Lin Jianheng must have been seriously injured at the time.
Just imagining such a scene, Yan Su couldn’t control the collapse of her spiritual power, on the verge of unleashing a storm of destruction, yet she had to force herself to be calm.
“It’s really okay. Don’t worry, it won’t happen again…” Lin Jianheng sighed, holding Yan Su a little tighter, suddenly regretting bringing her here.
She could have told her later, omitting the near-death part, to spare her such emotional turmoil.
Yan Su trembled like a butterfly, shook her head, but ultimately did not let her emotions collapse, only shedding tears of anger.
“I’m sorry.” Xilan’s apology was very solemn.
But just like the day she had arranged to negotiate with Lin Jianheng, the last thing they needed was an apology.
“I need to know the reason. This is the palace, the safest place in the entire Empire. I sent my daughter to you so that she would not be at risk of attack. Why?” Although Jian Zunqiu pulled her wife back a little, her teeth were chattering as she spoke, and she had to pause for a second to catch her breath.
Xilan looked at Yan Su again.
“At that time, this group not only attacked Xiao Heng, but also injured Zhixian. At that time, Zhixian happened to not be possessed by Sigu’s people, so we immediately identified Sigu and its subordinates as the suspects.”
“But they retreated very quickly, leaving no trace. With only suspicion, we couldn’t even negotiate with them. The only result of our two-year investigation is that Xiao Heng was carrying a virus at the time. The virus was programmed with instructions to follow remote commands and specifically mutate the people around her, thereby eliminating her. The reason it didn’t infect Xiao Heng was probably because Xiao Heng’s spiritual ability was too strong, and the virus couldn’t break through her defenses.” As Xilan spoke, she displayed many investigation results.
“We speculate that the attack was related to Xiao Heng’s true identity and the transmigration plan. Sigu is afraid of us replacing the technology, and also afraid of the direct descendant of the notoriously violent previous King.”
“As for the reason Xiao Heng had the virus… after several investigations, the current guess is that it came from her former fiancée, who appeared briefly and then disappeared on the eve of their engagement.”
As she said this, Xilan looked again at Yan Su in Lin Jianheng’s arms.
They looked at her, undoubtedly because she was Lin Jianheng’s newly chosen partner, and her features bore some resemblance to the previous one.
Yan Su raised her misty, tear-filled eyes and frowned, looking at Canglin Xilan.
“Then, do you have any leads on her?” Lin Jianheng’s tone was flat, as if she didn’t care much about that person.
She hadn’t touched that memory, only out of consideration for her new lover. But if that was the reason for her near-death, what should she do?
“Unfortunately, no. That person vanished as if from thin air; no one has seen her since. This is also why we speculate that she was the one who brought the virus to you. The Mechanical Lifeforms have such methods, like the Meng Qinyi that Xiao Heng encountered, and the assassins who came to kill you before.”
The remains of these individuals were all handed over to the authorities for examination.
“In short, because we hadn’t had time to completely remove the experimental equipment from Xiao Heng’s body, and Xiao Heng suffered a fatal injury, her soul was automatically sent to the originally designated low-tech single-planet civilization. After that, we could only pray for your safe return.”
Lin Jianheng could feel that they were telling the truth. Since the former fiancée was one of Sigu’s people, there was no need to waste feelings and energy on her.
Having Yan Su now was very good. She squeezed Yan Su’s hand, trying her best to reassure her.
“Then my body…” Did she still have that kind of experimental device on her now?
“Later, we spent three months repairing it and removing the experimental equipment. My wife, who is also the chief designer of the transmigration project, your sister-in-law and her hospital’s doctors, worked together to save your body. Although its strength is not what it used to be, it can be considered healthy, just waiting for your soul to return. We estimated it would be at least two years, but we didn’t expect that one day when we went to provide care, you opened your eyes, and that person was not you at all. Xiao Heng also knows what happened after that.”
Everything connected.
Sigu couldn’t directly possess her body, only take advantage of the vacancy.
Lin Jianheng relaxed a little at this information and was about to comfort her worried mothers.
A wave of killing intent suddenly rushed over, and in terms of feeling, it was even somewhat familiar.
Jian Zunqiu and Song Qinghua simultaneously flew up to defend, while Xilan frowned and raised her hand, also resisting with her spiritual power.
With someone protecting her, Lin Jianheng simply took Yan Su and retreated, protecting Yan Su with a crystal cocoon, and then supplemented it with a crystal shield around her family and teacher.
“Jingyuan!” Xilan took a step forward, not knowing what her royal sister intended to do.
“…You broke our agreement.” Canglin Jingyuan looked at Lin Jianheng, her eyes completely ignoring the few other people.
If she were to directly attack Jingyuan, she could really be charged with treason in the future, and someone would have to face a lawsuit.
Lin Jianheng frantically gave her mothers a look, even tapping them with her crystal shield, which finally pulled the two tense individuals back a little.
As for Yan Su in her arms, she had her special ability ready, but when she met Lin Jianheng’s eyes, she sullenly extinguished it, still a little unhappy.
“Are you talking about Sunday? I’d like to know what’s going on with you two. One calls me on Saturday, and the other says Sunday.” Lin Jianheng now understood that Canglin Jingyuan might really have something wrong with her head.
A normal person wouldn’t just start a fight right away, without even asking a question, right?
Besides, she never said she wouldn’t come on Sunday.
Jingyuan’s steps paused in place, and then she looked at Xilan, as if asking what was going on.
“…So you two didn’t even discuss it yourselves.” And here Lin Jianheng thought the two sisters were a single unit, that they would definitely come to her together if something was up.
“You didn’t tell me.” Xilan facepalmed, walked over, and took Jingyuan’s hand.
“I told you I was going to find Xiao Heng on Saturday. You were fiddling with your ornament at the time and just gave me a ‘hmm,’ so I knew you hadn’t heard me.” Between the two sisters, Xilan was more like the older one.
“My apologies.” Jingyuan was a stickler for rules, and her apology was completely insincere.
See, this was a true royal. Compared to her, Lin Jianheng prided herself on being humble, gentle, and easy to communicate with, without that kind of arrogant flaw.
“So what do you want from me?” Lin Jianheng had no choice but to deal with this not-so-bright King.
“A duel.” Jingyuan’s words were brief, her tone cold, yet her voice was soft, like a child pretending to be an adult, sounding even younger than the young Jian Heng.
“Sigu’s side is in a violent uproar. The recent mass spiritual power collapses are accompanied by the mutations from two years ago. I need your spiritual power to completely expel them and protect my people.”
If Lin Jianheng had gone to the scene when Li Zhaoge asked, she would have seen that those mutations were very similar to the palace coup incident two years ago.
The widely circulated version of the palace coup was that there were people dissatisfied with Jingyuan’s rule, or dissatisfied with the Canglin surname, who wanted to overthrow the current royal family. Only the core members knew it was because of a certain virus.
It was also because of this that Canglin Jingyuan was so terrified when she saw those mutants, even going so far as to send people to test Lin Jianheng.
“A duel?” Lin Jianheng searched her memory for this word.
“A duel? Jingyuan, are you insane?” Canglin Xilan’s face suddenly changed, and the pads of her fingers, which were pinching Jingyuan’s wrist, couldn’t help but press harder, sinking into that pale skin, almost revealing the color of bone.
Jingyuan shook her off. “I know what I’m saying. It’s too late. I can’t possibly attack you and Zhixian.”
The situation in the Empire was urgent. She had to do something to stop the infiltration of the Mechanical Lifeforms into the Empire.
“Then can you attack her? She’s the child of the aunt you respected the most, whom you watched grow up! Have you forgotten how long Diexun took care of you, how much she taught you?” Xilan tried her best to stop her, and the two of them looked like they were about to fight.
“She is not!” Jingyuan squeezed Xilan’s hand, and a sound cut through the sky of the palace, making the dome tremble three times.
“She is not… Besides, am I supposed to watch the people my aunt entrusted to me die because of a situation I can’t control? When I can clearly do something!” She lowered her head, her hair falling to cover half her face, her muscles tense, like a ghost or a spirit.
“How can you be sure that you’ll be able to handle these things after you have her spiritual power? You can handle the Capital Star, but what about outside? What about the Tanmo Star System!” Xilan absolutely could not let her initiate a duel with Lin Jianheng.
Jian Zunqiu and Song Qinghua, who were standing to the side, also gradually realized what was happening and stood in front of Lin Jianheng.
Lin Jianheng also finally found the word.
Members of the royal family could absorb the spiritual power, special abilities, and so on of the other party by dueling—beating the other party to a state of near-death from blood loss—to raise their own level.
Of course, after the duel, the defeated party would never survive.
Such things had happened in history, though not often. It was common when the abilities of sisters were too similar, and they were unwilling to yield to each other, or when their abilities were not up to par, and it was impossible to choose the next King.
But now, it was Canglin Jingyuan, driven mad by the expectations and entrustment of the previous King, and the terror of the Mechanical Lifeforms, who was drawing her sword against a junior she should have cherished.
“You were defeated by me, so don’t try to persuade me.” Jingyuan unfolded her spiritual power, shaking Xilan back.
Xilan even gave Lin Jianheng a look, wanting her to run away quickly.
That look was cut off by a slash from Canglin Jingyuan’s sword, and strands of hair were shattered in the air. Lin Jianheng blocked it with a crystal shield.
“Is there no other way?” She was even still thinking.
If the purpose was just to expel the Mechanical Lifeforms within the Capital Star, did she really need that much spiritual power?
She had spent all her spiritual power dealing with Sigu, who was far away in the Tanmo Star System.
After forcing everyone back a step, Jingyuan sheathed her sword again. Today, she did not use her special ability, wanting to settle things with Lin Jianheng through force of arms.
“Jian Heng. I am being despicable. You are inferior to me in every way now, yet I still need your power. Asking you if you are willing to duel me is the last fairness I can offer you.”
Was Canglin Jingyuan really challenging Lin Jianheng to a duel just for the sake of her people, to expel the Mechanical Lifeforms?
Lin Jianheng guessed that there was probably more to it than that.
After recovering her memories, she knew that the factions and nobles around the royal family were not all very satisfied with Canglin Jingyuan.
Canglin Jingyuan’s spiritual power was only considered upper-middle among the successive Kings, far from that of the previous King Diexun. Moreover, she had not received the education of a crown prince from a young age, lacking a bit of the ruthlessness in her bones, having only a stubborn madness.
Perhaps Canglin Jingyuan wanted more power, perhaps Canglin Jingyuan had even greater ambitions. She did not hide these things; her eyes were so bright and direct that they were surprisingly not disliked.
Lin Jianheng stopped her two mothers, who were trying to show that “if you want to fight her, you’ll have to step over my dead body,” and also held back the restless Yan Su, who had been holding onto her special ability, ready to launch a sneak attack.
She took a step forward and looked directly into Canglin Jingyuan’s eyes.
They were a pair of glass-like eyes. They shimmered with a very faint aurora, and the fluorescent green ribbons seemed to have mist and wind, clouding her heart.
“I thought it wouldn’t have to be this troublesome.” Lin Jianheng did not shy away from the sharp glint in the eyes of a King who could be considered mad.
“Of course, the premise is that you need this spiritual power really just to solve the mass spiritual power collapse incidents that have been occurring in the Capital Star for days.” Lin Jianheng raised her hand, and for the second time in a real battle, she used her teleportation skill, this time to grasp the sword at Canglin Jingyuan’s waist.
She didn’t even touch the sword. Even the more experienced Jingyuan couldn’t judge how she used this special ability.
Actually, Lin Jianheng’s special ability was by no means as simple as crystal manipulation.
She had royal blood, so her special ability should be similar to that of all other members of the royal family.
—Domain Control
This was the principle behind how Canglin Jingyuan could freely teleport and even switch wind fields to launch attacks.
Her domain range was quite large, about the size of a football field, and within her domain, she was nearly invincible. Whether it was Jian Zunqiu’s gravity manipulation or Song Qinghua’s sound wave attacks, she could neutralize them all.
Lin Jianheng’s special ability was still recovering, and she hadn’t known before that her special ability was actually domain control, and its area was very small.
Yet she had still easily stolen Jingyuan’s sword.
There was the reason that Jingyuan wasn’t particularly focused, but Lin Jianheng’s talent was still immeasurable.
Jingyuan wavered for a moment, wanting to hear what Lin Jianheng had to say.
“If you can do it, naturally.” She took a step back, agreeing to this negotiation.
Lin Jianheng played with the sword in her hand. Since Li Zhaoge was her knight and carried a sword around all day, Jian Heng used to play with swords all the time too.
“Spiritual power can be conducted, and it can also resonate.” She pointed the tip of the sword at her own head.
“If you only need me during battle, there’s no need to initiate a duel. I will agree to open my spiritual space to you and let you draw my spiritual power.” This step was also a concession from Lin Jianheng.
Just as she had thought before. She was not alone now.
She had a fairly complete family, and every one of them loved and cared for her.
She had to use the smallest price to exchange for her safety and protect her family.
Otherwise, how heartbroken would her lover, whom she had just started dating, her unborn children, and her family who had waited for her for two years be?
If it were in the past, Jian Heng would never have agreed to this request. Her pride would have made her agree to this duel, and she would have fought to the death to kill Jingyuan.
Now she had also grown up, and the situation in the Empire was different from before. With one more member of the royal family, the chances of winning would be a little higher.
This was also why Lin Jianheng said Jingyuan had other motives. If she knew she couldn’t kill Canglin Jingyuan out of a moment of anger, how could this King who loved her people as her own children not know?
Of course, Jingyuan did not show it on the surface.
Lin Jianheng didn’t mind communicating with Jingyuan about this in private. She would take another step back to ensure the safety of herself, Yan Su, and her daughters as much as possible.
As Lin Jianheng said these words, she had not yet taken the sword down.
It was just a second away from piercing her temple.
Perhaps, it was a promise.
“Xiao Heng!” “Baby!” “Master!” Three voices sounded at the same time.
Lin Jianheng stood in the wind, motionless.
Only her hair brushed against the sword, being cut off moment by moment.
That pair of amber eyes, at this moment, penetrated deep into Jingyuan’s heart.
It was very much like a scene from decades ago, when Canglin Jingyuan held a sword like this, and Canglin Diexun stood before her.
Five minutes of silence. Lin Jianheng stood there motionless, her hand aching and swelling, but she never relaxed.
Until Jingyuan’s expression softened, and she took a step forward.
“My lover and I have dealt with Sigu. We worked together to kill one of her avatars, you should know this. Perhaps there are times when you can’t handle things, you can also leave them to me.” Lin Jianheng once again presented her bargaining chip.
She returned the words Xilan had given her verbatim: “The royal family and I are not in an adversarial relationship, are we?”
“…Reasonable.” Jingyuan took back her sword, and in the next second, she broke it with the wind and threw it behind her.
“In this, you are very much like your mother.” The former Jian Heng was too weak. But in those five minutes of eye contact, Jingyuan saw the aunt she had once respected the most.
Their birth mother was frail, indulging in landscapes, and did not take much care of them when she was alive.
She and Xilan were raised by the previous King, Diexun.
Diexun, in her busy political affairs, would take the time to teach them how to use their special abilities and control their spiritual power.
Even after she went to the remote Tanmo Star System, she still maintained a spiritual connection with Diexun, until that day.
When the spiritual connection with her aunt was broken, Jingyuan straightened up from her position, stood there stiffly, and a final tear slid down the corner of her eye.
She had a huge void, and the pain had since eaten through her heart, turning her into a pale, empty shell.
She lived as Diexun’s will, a machine.
Later, she felt both resentment and pity for the child Diexun had died to save.
So she rarely paid attention to her, and left the matter of raising that child to her more gentle sister.
“Didn’t you say I wasn’t?” However, Lin Jianheng was one to hold a grudge.
Her concession did not mean she had forgotten Jingyuan’s madness these past few days.
It only meant that she was not strong enough now to take revenge, and she understood priorities very well.
One day, she would pin Canglin Jingyuan to the ground and beat her up.
But not now, when the Empire was in peril.
“…” Canglin Jingyuan glanced at Lin Jianheng, said nothing more, turned and left, her figure lonely and vast.
The sound of the wind slowly quieted, as if she had never been there.
Everyone’s hearts fell to the ground, crashing down on Lin Jianheng.
“Master! You scared me to death…” It was hard on Yan Su, who had just confirmed her pregnancy, only to have her emotions put on a rollercoaster because of the royal family’s affairs.
“Sister. I’m fine.” Lin Jianheng hugged Yan Su as she threw herself into her arms.
Several times, Yan Su had wanted to use her special ability to attack Jingyuan, but she was ultimately stopped by Lin Jianheng.
The two of them together were not necessarily a match for this now experienced King, and besides, they had to think of their children.
“She was testing me, and I was testing her. No one really wanted anyone dead.” Of course, Lin Jianheng admitted that there were times when she really wanted to chop up Canglin Jingyuan.
This explanation only fooled the little succubus. Jian Zunqiu walked over and patted Lin Jianheng on the head, with a strange amount of force. Lin Jianheng even shrank her neck.
Song Qinghua, in the end, couldn’t bear it. She hugged the cuddling little couple, and after relaxing, tears flowed straight onto Lin Jianheng.
“I’ll go and talk to her again.” As the younger sister, Xilan’s position was more awkward. She left this sentence and departed, leaving the space for this family.
The family later cried into a heap, which even startled Jian Lingxuan who had come to pick them up.
Two months later.
The spiritual power collapse incidents within the Capital Star were almost all resolved, and for a continuous week, no such incidents occurred again.
Lin Jianheng could finally take her second step back.
She came to the palace alone, maintaining a spiritual connection with Yan Su, soothing her anxious lover.
“It’s on the table, get it yourself.” Canglin Jingyuan’s complexion was much better than two months ago.
At least she finally looked like a living person.
Lin Jianheng picked up the chip, compared it with the image in her mind, and confirmed that it was the last of the four chips.
“You’re just letting us go like this, are you content?” Lin Jianheng put it away and told Yan Su she would be home soon.
Yesterday, Canglin Jingyuan had removed the spiritual brand left in Lin Jianheng’s spiritual space.
The two maintained a channel of friendly communication, but Canglin Jingyuan would no longer come uninvited as she had when she needed her to deal with the spiritual power collapse incidents, demanding her presence at a moment’s notice.
Heaven knows how tired Lin Jianheng had been for the past two months. Yan Su often accompanied her to the scene, but for her safety, Lin Jianheng never let her use her special ability, at most using their spiritual power together to disperse the hidden Mechanical Lifeforms.
Sometimes there were even five incidents in one day. Lin Jianheng would be dragged away by Canglin Jingyuan to work overtime in the middle of the night.
And now this useful, easily controlled workhorse was going to be released just like that?
“What are you talking about? Aren’t you the one who wants to go to the Tanmo Star System to do an investigation?” Jingyuan had her back to Lin Jianheng, looking at a huge hanging painting.
It was a portrait of Lin Jianheng’s mother, painted by one of the few remaining oil painting masters.
The woman in the portrait was at least seventy percent similar to Lin Jianheng, but of a different age.
Lin Jianheng followed Jingyuan’s gaze and paused for a moment on Diexun’s purple eyes.
She was the one who had volunteered to go to the Tanmo Star System.
Leaving the Capital Star also meant that she was withdrawing from the election for the throne.
Being away from the center of politics and power for a few years, even if she returned again, she would not be a strong candidate for King.
And this was exactly what Canglin Jingyuan secretly wanted.
Lin Jianheng saw through it and made this request.
In exchange, Canglin Jingyuan removed that spiritual brand and let Lin Jianheng’s family go.
At the same time, she found the last chip for her.
She still didn’t know what it would be like when they were all put together. Lin Jianheng couldn’t wait to go home.
Her little cat sister had already packed the things they were going to take to the Tanmo Star System. She already saw this exile as their honeymoon.
Although the Tanmo Star System was a border star system, chaotic and disorderly, it was not entirely in a state of war. The central star system was quite well-developed, and there would naturally be a place for Yan Su to have a peaceful pregnancy.
Away from the royal family, Lin Jianheng could also show her skills and investigate the people she was curious about.
And to cooperate with (monitor) her, Canglin Jingyuan had even given her a masterless Shadow Guard unit.
Canglin Jingyuan had no time to go to the border, and Lin Jianheng needed to get away from the palace.
Actually, for them, it was a win-win.
“See you next time. Let’s chat in the spiritual space when you have time.” Lin Jianheng withdrew her gaze, not paying much attention to her birth mother, and waved the chip.
“…You really are like her.” Long after Lin Jianheng had left, Canglin Jingyuan let out a sigh.
“Sister!” Lin Jianheng rushed home at top speed. Yan Su was already waiting for her downstairs with several suitcases.
“Wife-baby!” Yan Su let go, and things fell all over the floor.
She didn’t care, just opened her arms and hugged Lin Jianheng.
Lin Jianheng lifted her horizontally and used her special ability to control the pile of luggage.
They were heading to exit 172 in District F, off to the Tanmo Star System of their dreams.
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IonAnthos On PCMWF Chapter 131