Elaine, You Coward!

Near the southern district of the capital, there was a deserted stretch of beach.

Shi Sheng picked up a seashell. It was bare and rather ugly, but he held it in his palm.

He sat on a reef as waves continually washed over his toes, yet the sound seemed to strike directly against Shi Sheng's heart.

When a familiar voice sounded behind him, he startled. He quickly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand before turning around.

The Omega curved his eyes in a smile and asked in sign language:

"Why is Elaine here? I didn't even hear you."

Elaine wrapped Shi Sheng in his military coat, shielding him from the sea wind as he lifted him down.

But upon noticing Shi Sheng was barefoot, he did not put him down.

"Merico said you came here." Elaine's voice was calm and gentle. "The wind is strong. Could you not stay too long?"

His gaze fell upon Shi Sheng's still slightly damp eyelashes.

Shi Sheng pursed his lips. "Sorry. I saw the message you sent me, but I didn't reply."

Elaine said, "You do not need to apologize for something like that. I told you, you can do anything you want."

He lowered his head and kissed Shi Sheng's eyelashes. "Do you want to go home now?"

The word "home" made Shi Sheng's nose sting.

He forced back the tears he had not yet wiped away, then opened his palm and held it out to Elaine.

Elaine looked at him and asked, "For me?"

Shi Sheng nodded, a little embarrassed.

It was merely an ordinary seashell that could be found everywhere on the beach. How could it compare to the flowers Elaine deliberately went out of his way to bring home for him every time?

Yet Elaine deliberately freed one hand and solemnly accepted it into his palm.

"Thank you."

Shi Sheng knew Elaine might not understand why he had given him such a shell, but he still thanked Shi Sheng in the same cherishing tone he would have used for the most expensive gift.

Shi Sheng thought that he was already fortunate enough.

He raised his head and signed to Elaine, "Let's go home."

He leaned forward to look for his shoes, only for Elaine to carry him back onto the reef.

Before Shi Sheng could react, he saw Elaine bend down, pick up his shoes, and slowly lower himself to one knee.

The Alpha who was decisive and ruthless on the battlefield now resembled any ordinary husband, carefully wiping the sand from Shi Sheng's feet with a handkerchief before putting on his shoes.

This time, Shi Sheng did not try to refuse.

After putting on his shoes, Elaine took Shi Sheng's hand and walked beside him toward where the aircraft was parked.

He did not ask Shi Sheng what he had come here to do.

Only after they boarded the aircraft home did Shi Sheng hear him ask, "Do you want to see the new notice issued by the Security Office?"

Shi Sheng froze. He had been sitting on the beach for a long time and did not yet know what had been posted on the Star Network.

When he nodded, Elaine opened it on his wristband for him to see.

It was a supplement to the previous notice.

Among the supplementary evidence, they had released a video from the mech's internal recording system.

It clearly documented every operation Lin Chi performed after entering the mech.

This video was already enough to prove Shi Sheng's innocence.

Elaine said, "The military academy's Security Office has gotten used to neglecting its duties. It is long past time they were replaced with fresh blood."

Shi Sheng understood.

The military academy had probably released this supplementary notice because Elaine had gone to pressure them.

In principle, the Security Office should have provided a detailed explanation in its notice. But they had not. Even when Shi Sheng made the request himself, they had brushed him off.

Shi Sheng's feelings were complicated. He was happy that Elaine paid attention even to such small matters concerning him.

Yet he could not help wondering whether, without Elaine, his brother Shi Yi would have had no way to appeal for himself if something like this had happened to him.

But if it had happened to his brother, he would certainly have gone to the Security Office to argue his case, or found another way to prove himself.

Only Shi Sheng would not.

Just like what happened back then, he had never been as capable as his brother.

Since then, Shi Sheng had lost much of his strength. Like a numb patient, he could not even be bothered to bandage a wound when a blade cut into his flesh.

For all these years, he had only had one wish, and he had devoted all his energy to it.

Everything else had become far less important.

Shi Sheng hugged Elaine and rubbed his face against the stiff military coat.

"I do not know whether you are upset because of this." Shi Sheng's cheek rested against Elaine's chest, and he could feel the faint vibrations as he spoke. "But—Shengsheng, you will always have Carlos behind you."

Elaine cupped his cheeks, his thumb brushing across his eyelashes. "I hope you will not worry over anything, whether you are willing to tell me or not."

His voice was patient and indulgent. "Whatever the Shi family never gave you, you can have anything you want in Carlos."

Shi Sheng's heart trembled.

For one moment, he even suspected that Elaine might know something.

He hurriedly signed, "I'm fine. Before, at home, and now too—with Elaine, everything is fine."

Elaine looked into his eyes for a while. "Then is your sadness today related to me?"

Shi Sheng hurriedly shook his head again.

Elaine rarely sighed. He pulled Shi Sheng onto his lap. "Whatever you are worried about, everything will pass."

What he meant was that he would solve everything for Shi Sheng.

Shi Sheng fell silent for a while, then turned sideways and slowly signed, "Today, I met Ji Sui."

Elaine said, "Your cousin."

Shi Sheng nodded, but said nothing else. He took out his voice device and said, "I want to help him keep what belongs to him in the Shi family before my brother comes back."

Elaine asked, "What about yours?"

Shi Sheng paused, then smiled and shook his head. "I don't want it. I only want Elaine."

A faint smile touched Elaine's lips. He lowered his eyes, his fingers brushing over the edge of Shi Sheng's bite-proof collar.

It rested beside his small Adam's apple.

Shi Sheng stiffened slightly, his fingers moving helplessly.

Elaine hid the coldness in his eyes by keeping his gaze lowered. He merely told Shi Sheng in a gentle voice, "You have always possessed everything I have."

Shi Sheng had originally thought Elaine would ask more. He had even begun to feel afraid, because he did not know how to lie.

But Elaine did not ask.

Suddenly, courage rose within him.

After seeing Shi Sheng at the military academy, Ji Sui had been in an extremely bad mood.

As a result, he returned to the apartment he shared with Lowell much later than usual.

Lowell was sprawled on the sofa, loudly playing a game. Even when he saw Ji Sui return, he did not look up, only complaining in an irritated tone.

"Where the hell did you go again? Are you trying to starve me to death by coming back this late?"

Ji Sui said, "Didn't I set up a cooking robot for you?"

Lowell frowned. "You expect a young master like me to eat food made by a robot?"

Ji Sui had always obeyed Lowell's every word. He was more interesting than the withdrawn Shi Sheng and gentler than the forceful Shi Yi.

He knew what kind of person Lowell liked him to be.

But today, an inexplicable anger rose within him. Without saying anything, he went into the bedroom and slammed the door hard behind him.

The enormous bang made Lowell pause before rage immediately surged through him. He stormed over and kicked the door.

"What the hell are you going crazy for? You've gotten bold, haven't you?!"

Ji Sui covered his ears to block out the arrogant, barbaric sound of Lowell kicking the door, his fingers gradually tightening.

If he could not live well, then he would not let Shi Sheng live well either.

In any case, he was already transferring the Shi family's assets.

The Shi family's stupidity lay in the fact that too many people knew the secret of the substitute marriage.

Even if Shi Sheng had used some method to deceive Thanatos, so what? Ji Sui did not believe the Emperor would not hold him accountable once he found out.

Besides, the public was not forgiving toward Carlos.

A trace of ruthlessness flashed through Ji Sui's eyes.

Elaine swiftly reached out and stopped Shi Sheng from undoing his bite-proof collar.

For once, Shi Sheng struggled, trying to pull his hand from Elaine's palm.

Elaine was unusually forceful as well. One hand held Shi Sheng around the waist to keep him from falling, while the other restrained his movements.

"No, Shengsheng." Elaine's eyes darkened.

Shi Sheng lowered his gaze. With his hand restrained by Elaine, he could neither use sign language nor reach for his voice device.

Somewhat angrily, he thought, Elaine is bullying me because I'm mute.

To his surprise, Elaine seemed to know what he was thinking and moved closer.

"I just do not want to hurt you."

Shi Sheng looked up, signaling for Elaine to let him go.

Elaine shifted his hold, wrapping Shi Sheng up in his arms so that he could no longer remove his collar.

Shi Sheng used his voice device to say, "Elaine is always afraid of this and afraid of that."

He put a little force into it, and even the electronic voice carried a trace of anger. "Elaine, you coward!"

Elaine froze.

The Omega was actually adorable when he was angry, like a little dog with its fur standing on end.

But Elaine did not smile. His hand paused before he held Shi Sheng's hand again.

"I'm sorry."

Perhaps Shi Sheng was the only person in the world who dared to call Elaine a coward.

Yet Elaine felt that he was right.

Only when it came to Shi Sheng's health, safety, and even his life did Elaine become cowardly enough to no longer seem like himself.

After a moment of silence, he reached out and reset the aircraft's control panel.

"I'll take you somewhere, all right?"

Yumian slept until sunset again and had no idea what time it was.

He had been muddle-headed for several days now, and only at this moment did he sluggishly feel hunger.

Shaking his head to cast the nightmare from his mind, he opened the Star Network and read the notice about Noah's execution by lethal injection once more.

He had already read the notice many times.

Originally, he had not cared that much about Noah. Even after learning from Shi Sheng that he was supposedly a villain killed by Noah in the so-called story, he still cared less about it than Izel's gossip.

But Noah kept appearing in his dreams.

Along with Hovis.

How strange. How could two people who had nothing to do with each other appear together in his dreams?

How could they have formed a connection he knew nothing about without his knowledge?

At that thought, Yumian gave a self-mocking smile.

But what was he, anyway? There were so many things about Hovis that he did not know.

His heart was so sour it felt as though it had been soaked in lemonade, and memories he had deliberately buried for so long came surging back.

Along with pain, along with unwillingness, along with the helpless crying of his younger self.

Yumian buried his face in his knees.

He had to see Hovis.

He thought.

He had to argue with him. He had to make him angry, make him hurt, make him feel everything that was tormenting Yumian now.

Even though he knew Hovis had never cared, Yumian was like a stubborn traveler, determined to use that candle flame to scorch Hovis's flesh and blood.