ISMW Chapter 59

Yu Chen found it difficult to describe exactly how he felt at this moment.

 

It was as if he were evaporating water, incomplete unless he returned to Yun Xunlan’s body. Without hesitation, he took three steps in two and sat down beside the youth.

 

“Baby, try this,” Yun Xunlan said, pushing a small green cake toward Yu Chen. “I had the chef make this especially for you today.”

 

Hearing this, Yu Chen set everything else aside and used a fork to take a bite of the cake.

 

The silky sweet cream melted slowly upon contact with his body heat, releasing a unique aroma that was hard to describe. After a few seconds of confusion and careful consideration, Yu Chen asked hesitantly: “Is this… cilantro?”

 

“Yes, cilantro cake,” Yun Xunlan nodded earnestly, confirming Yu Chen’s guess. Resting his delicate chin lightly on his interlaced fingers, he looked utterly content just watching Yu Chen eat. With a smile that curved his brows and eyes, he added, “You like cilantro, don’t you? I remembered.”

 

Yu Chen: “…”

 

It was true that he liked cilantro, but turning it into a cake? Even as a cilantro enthusiast, this was a bit much for him.

 

And yet Yun Xunlan asked him: “Does it taste good?”

 

Not wanting to disappoint his lover’s thoughtful gesture, Yu Chen took another bite and quickly swallowed it before he could even process the flavor. Forcing himself to lie, he said: “It’s delicious.”

 

Hearing this, Yun Xunlan’s golden eyes lit up with threads of brightness: “Then I’ll ask the chef to make it for you again tomorrow?”

 

Yun Xunlan himself rarely ate regular food; he usually relied on nutrient solutions for sustenance. But today, worried that Yu Chen might feel upset about the online rumors and slander against him, Yun Xunlan had specifically come to accompany him for lunch and even had the chef prepare a cilantro cake—combining Yu Chen’s favorite herb with dessert—to cheer him up.

 

“There’s no need, Lanlan,” Yu Chen said with a deep breath as he set down his fork and reached out to hold Yun Xunlan’s hand. Gently squeezing the youth’s slender fingers, he explained: “My training intensity has increased recently. I need to cut back on high-calorie foods like this. Just having it once today is more than enough for me.”

 

This was the truth. Ever since Yun Xunlan was discharged from the hospital, Commander Dick had been increasing Yu Chen’s training regimen—almost as if trying to make Yu Chen’s physique as impressive as his character. None of the other guards received such treatment. Luckily, Yu Chen’s physical fitness was exceptional; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to endure the daily overtraining.

 

“Then let me know when you feel like eating it again,” Yun Xunlan replied. “Or you can go directly to the chef yourself.”

 

Yu Chen was just about to agree: “I will.”

 

But before he could finish speaking, Yun Xunlan suddenly closed his fingers around Yu Chen’s hand and held it tightly. Without any warning, he said: “Baby, let’s make our relationship public.”

 

He didn’t phrase it as a question but as a statement because Yun Xunlan knew that Yu Chen had always wanted their relationship to be public—or rather, Yu Chen had never considered keeping their relationship private in the first place. So Yun Xunlan assumed that by saying this, Yu Chen would undoubtedly agree.

 

However, instead of showing happiness or excitement, Yu Chen furrowed his brows slightly. His face showed no trace of joy; even his deep blue eyes held no delight. Lowering his voice slightly, he asked Yun Xunlan: “Why?”

 

Yun Xunlan opened his mouth but hadn’t yet spoken when Yu Chen answered for him: “It’s because you saw what happened online, isn’t it?”

 

At this point, there was no need for Yun Xunlan to beat around the bush anymore. He admitted honestly: “Yes. I know you’re not that kind of person—I’m very clear about that. If we make our relationship public, those rumors will collapse on their own.”

 

It wasn’t that Yun Xunlan was being narcissistic; it was simply that this method was indeed the fastest and most effective way to dispel the rumors.

 

—Who could ever fall for someone else after having Yun Xunlan as their lover?

 

There’s a popular joke on the interstellar web: In this galaxy, only Yun Xunlan could date 999 people simultaneously without breaking up, because there will always be someone who wants to be 1 of the 999, someone who wants to be the 1000th, and even someone willing to be the 1001st.

 

Yet in the end, Yu Chen became Yun Xunlan’s only lover.

 

“I don’t want…” Yun Xunlan raised his hand, his fingertips brushing against Yu Chen’s face as he said, “…to see you being insulted.”

 

“I’ve always wanted to be your openly acknowledged lover,” Yu Chen replied as he lifted his own hand to cover Yun Xunlan’s. “But I don’t want the reason for us going public to be this.”

 

Besides…

 

Yu Chen thought that if their relationship were made public, he might end up being insulted even more than he was now.

 

Still, he didn’t care about being insulted himself. The only thing that mattered to him was the baseless slander directed at Yun Xunlan. Tomorrow, when his private messaging ban was lifted, he planned to curse out “San’er Lacks Calcium No. 2” properly.

 

“You can choose to make our relationship public anytime—it’s entirely up to you. As long as it’s what you want, it’s fine. Don’t change your mind for my sake.”

 

“I’ll investigate that person’s IP and post a clarification statement,” Yu Chen explained his plan to Yun Xunlan. “I’ll also hire a lawyer to file a lawsuit. If I need your help, I’ll let you know. For now, don’t worry about me.”

 

Yun Xunlan pressed his lips together before sharing the information he had found: “A lawsuit probably won’t work. The account ‘Evelyn,’ along with those claiming to have been ‘harassed’ by you—those beta and omega accounts posting chat logs in her comment section—none of them are from the Galactic Empire. Their IP addresses all trace back to the Corona Empire.”

 

The Corona Empire again.

 

Yu Chen let out a cold laugh: “How fitting—scum always flock together, and idiots love forming groups.”

 

But as soon as the words left his mouth, Yu Chen remembered that he was currently with Yun Xunlan. He couldn’t let his lover see him cursing like this—what if Yun Xunlan thought he was too aggressive and saw him as an uncivilized brute prone to domestic violence?

 

So Yu Chen immediately apologized: “Sorry, Lanlan. I shouldn’t have said that in front of you.”

 

“Ah… it’s fine. You can say whatever you want in front of me,” Yun Xunlan replied honestly. “Besides, you weren’t cursing at me.”

 

However, bringing this up reminded Yu Chen of something else—the “oath” that had been tormenting him endlessly.

 

He felt it was time to have a proper conversation with Yun Xunlan about this matter.

 

But given how previous attempts at discussing it had been deflected by Yun Xunlan, Yu Chen decided to adopt a strategy inspired by the saying “know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.” After lunch, during their break, he sat alone in a corner and logged into the galaxy’s largest Q&A platform. In the question submission box, he carefully and politely typed out his inquiry:

 

[Questioner]: Due to my lack of refinement, I once cursed in front of my lover using a phrase that essentially called someone a dog. Now my lover seems particularly fond of this curse and insists on hearing me repeat it every day. I feel like this isn’t good behavior, but if I don’t repeat it, my lover says they feel uncomfortable all over. Does anyone know why this is happening?

 

[Answerer #1]: ?

 

[Questioner’s reply to Answerer #1]: ?

 

[Answerer #2]: Wow… couples these days are really into some weird stuff.

 

[Questioner’s reply to Answerer #2]: What do you mean? What weird stuff are we into?

 

[Answerer #3]: Questions about mixing up humans and dogs don’t belong in this section. Try asking in the adjacent “letter circle” category.

 

What’s the “letter circle”?

 

The more Yu Chen read, the less he understood. He had come here to ask a question and resolve his confusion, but instead, he ended up with even more questions.

 

Had he really posted in the wrong section?

 

Yu Chen patiently waited for more responses, and soon enough, more people replied—

 

[Answerer #4]: Oh no, I disagree with Answerer #3. I think the questioner’s lover probably hasn’t reached that level yet. Otherwise, they wouldn’t just like hearing curse words—they might also enjoy being slapped, choked, whipped, or something like that. Wait… you’re not actually into those things, are you?

 

[Questioner’s reply to Answerer #4]: Isn’t that domestic violence? I would never treat my lover like that.

 

[Answerer #4]: Ha! That’s not for you to decide.

 

[Questioner’s reply to Answerer #4]: ?

 

[Answerer #5]: Questioner, have you ever heard of a fetish called “Dirty Talk”? Perhaps your lover has this particular preference but is too shy to admit it. In any case, have an honest conversation with them first. Wishing you a fulfilling and happy intimate life together!

 

Among all the responses Yu Chen received, Answerer #5 seemed the most reasonable and sincere. Taking their advice seriously, Yu Chen immediately searched for “Dirty Talk” to find out what it was.

 

The results left him speechless.

 

To be honest, even though he and Yun Xunlan were already together, Yu Chen still didn’t understand what had made Yun Xunlan fall for him in the first place.

 

While Yu Chen was aware of his own excellence, he knew that Yun Xunlan was surrounded by people who were just as outstanding—if not more so—and many of them were alphas like him. There wasn’t any pheromone attraction between alphas and omegas here; there was only the instinctive reaction of mutual resistance.

 

Yu Chen still vividly remembered the first time he stood in front of Yun Xunlan. It took every ounce of his highly focused willpower to suppress his innate alpha battle instincts and his aggressive desire to attack Yun Xunlan.

 

No matter how beautiful Yun Xunlan was or how alluring his voice sounded, Yu Chen’s initial desire toward him wasn’t sexual—it was a primal urge to tear him apart, devour him, and destroy him in conquest.

 

Because Yu Chen wasn’t just an SS-class alpha—his true rank was SSS.

 

Resistance, conflict, and combat were hardwired into the genetic programming of top-tier alphas. Even Yu Chen couldn’t break free from these instincts based on one meeting alone or defy nature to fall in love with Yun Xunlan against his alpha programming. So why had Yun Xunlan shown special interest in him from day one—touching his ear intimately and sniffing at the pheromones in his blood?

 

“Love at first sight” could serve as one explanation, but it didn’t account for Yun Xunlan’s daily insistence on hearing that particular “oath.”

 

However, if Yun Xunlan had a Dirty Talk fetish, then everything suddenly made sense.

 

Yu Chen hadn’t become Yun Xunlan’s guard because of his perfect score on War Psychology or his top ranking in practical combat exams—it had nothing to do with his achievements! It was all because of that curse he had uttered!

 

That curse had struck Yun Xunlan’s fetish perfectly, which led the prince to choose him as a guard and repeatedly seduce him afterward—wanting to date him. It turned out that what made Yun Xunlan fall in love at first sight wasn’t Yu Chen himself but his ability to curse creatively.

 

Yu Chen felt like he was going insane.

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