Chapter 105.1
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Time seemed to pause for a few seconds. Chu Rong’s expression changed, and he reached out to touch the strange little bump on Qiao Zhiya’s forehead.
The wound on Chu Rong’s arm, still oozing blood, came directly in front of him. Qiao Zhiya’s eyes widened, and he reached out to touch it, but suddenly felt an itch on his forehead. The itch spread throughout his body, causing him to shudder involuntarily. Reflexively, he raised his hand to cover the spot where he had just been touched, then froze when he felt a hard little bump.
“What’s this?” he asked foolishly.
Chu Rong tightened his grip, his rationality almost crumbling under the torment of the strange things that had been happening these past few days. He spoke with a heavy tone, “Damn it, I want to know what this is too!”
First, the strange magic array, and now this. The constant unknown made him feel extremely irritable!
Qiao Zhiya hadn’t seen him this visibly angry in a long time. He was scared stiff, his ears frozen in place. He hurriedly leaned over and rubbed against him, comforting him while saying, “This is probably something I bumped into. Don’t worry, let me bandage your wound first, okay?”
Chu Rong didn’t respond, but instead hugged him tightly. Feeling his real body warmth, he took a deep breath, suppressing his increasingly uncontrollable emotions after his spiritual ordeal. He held Qiao Zhiya’s startled ears, then lifted him up and strode out of the room.
Qiao Zhiya also sensed the obvious turmoil in his spirit and felt extremely worried. He wanted to use magic to calm him down, but remembered his earlier words and hesitated. So, he obediently nestled in his arms, stabilizing his emotions with his actions.
What’s going on? He was very puzzled.
He had only slept for a while, how did Chu Rong become like this? Unstable spiritual state, injured arm, volatile emotions, as if he had experienced some huge shock. Could it be from before, at the presidential palace…
Wait! The presidential palace!
The baby!
He struggled to shake his ears, which were being held down, and anxiously asked, “How is Dasao and the baby? I—”
Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Gu Yan’an, who emerged from the kitchen upon hearing movement. Seeing her flushed complexion and stable breathing, he breathed a sigh of relief and was about to greet her with a smile. However, his head was suddenly grabbed from behind, and Chu Rong forcibly pressed it back against his chest.
“No peeking,” Chu Rong ordered gruffly.
Qiao Zhiya shook his ears and obediently retreated, not moving.
—Chu Rong seemed even more unreasonable after falling ill.
Chu Rong hurried Qiao Zhiya to the medical room, sitting with a frozen face as he watched Zhuang Yu give Qiao Zhiya a detailed examination. He kept holding one of Qiao Zhiya’s hands, his spiritual power constantly swirling around Qiao Zhiya, scaring the assistants in the medical room so much that they dared not approach.
“How is he?” Chu Rong immediately asked when Zhuang Yu withdrew her instruments.
“No problem with his body. As for this bump on his forehead… it seems to be bone,” Zhuang Yu replied conscientiously, ignoring her own terrifying aura.
Chu Rong frowned and asked, “Bone? How could a piece of bone protrude from Qiao Zhiya’s forehead? Could it be from his brain…”
“No, no, no, that’s too scary. There’s nothing wrong with Qiao’s skull.”
Zhuang Yu hurriedly interrupted her boss’s terrifying speculation. She pulled out Qiao Zhiya’s brain scan and showed it to him, explaining, “Qiao Zhiya’s skull is normal, and bones from the brain wouldn’t protrude through the skin like this. His current condition is more like… er, growing a horn.”
With no damage to the skull, the appearance of a bone protruding from the forehead to the top of the head, visible through the skin, could only be likened to the phenomenon of animals growing horns. And judging from the current appearance of this small bump on Qiao Zhiya, it should be a pair, but only one had emerged for now.
Just like how animals with horns would grow one at a time in their childhood, Qiao Zhiya felt itchy because the bump behind this one would probably continue to grow.
“A horn?”
Chu Rong’s expression became even more terrifying. He looked at Qiao Zhiya, only to find that the latter was tinkering with something, and his bangs conveniently covered the still very mini bump.
He couldn’t help but reach out to lift Qiao Zhiya’s bangs, but his other arm suddenly ached. He lowered his head and saw that Qiao Zhiya had deftly bandaged his wound while he was talking to Zhuang Yu. During this time, he hadn’t felt any pain except for the moment when the bandage was wrapped around.
“You used magic?”
His face darkened, and he stopped lifting Qiao Zhiya’s hair, instead holding his forehead and supporting his head.
Qiao Zhiya stiffened, not expecting to be caught so quickly. His ears trembled with guilt, and he avoided eye contact, pretending to be casual as he reached for the medical kit Zhuang Yu had put aside. At the same time, he slowly pulled Chu Rong’s hand towards himself, nonchalantly staring at Zhuang Yu, and replied, “Chu Rong, I’m hungry…”
Chu Rong frowned at his words, recalling how Qiao Zhiya had been unconscious for so long without eating anything. He couldn’t bring himself to scold him, so he stood up, ready to carry him away. However, he paused and turned to Zhuang Yu, asking, “Is this bone growth harmful?”
“No, it’s a normal, healthy bone. Sir, I don’t think you need to be so nervous. Exoplanet Natives often have appearances different from ordinary people, and horns are not unheard of. Perhaps Qiao Zhiya’s case is just a normal developspiritual phenomenon,” Zhuang Yu quickly replied. Her gaze briefly met Qiao Zhiya’s, who was peeking out from Chu Rong’s arms, exchanging a tacit understanding before both of them averted their eyes.
Chu Rong also recalled the Exoplanet Natives he had seen with horns on their foreheads, and his slightly furrowed brows relaxed. He nodded at Zhuang Yu and then turned to leave.
Zhuang Yu watched them go, glanced at the medical kit left beside Qiao Zhiya’s seat, and waved the examination report in her hand with a smile and a shake of her head — indeed, Qiao Zhiya knew how to handle the boss’s bad temper.
‘But this horn…’ she raised the report again and sighed slightly, feeling a headache coming on.
Whenever the boss had issues with his spiritual power, his temper would become super bad. It was tough.
In the main house’s living room, Chu Huai and Chu Yan had all gathered upon receiving Gu Yan’an’s notification. They were about to go to the medical room together when they saw Chu Rong coming back with Qiao Zhiya, who had already had his wound bandaged.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Chu Yan couldn’t help but rush forward and ask, “Erge, what did Zhuang say? Is Qiao okay?”
Chu Rong shook his head, his expression grim.
However, Qiao Zhiya, nestled in Chu Rong’s arms, vigorously nodded and softly reassured, “I’m fine, everyone, don’t worry.” After speaking, his gaze shifted to Gu Yan’an standing behind Chu Yan, then to her belly, his ears twitching as he flashed a smile.
Seeing him like this, Gu Yan’an finally let go of her worries. Ignoring Chu Rong’s sour face, she just smiled and greeted Qiao Zhiya, “As long as you’re better. Breakfast is ready. Come and eat.”
“I’ll go freshen up first.” Qiao Zhiya replied bashfully, then patted Chu Rong, who was about to head to the dining room, signaling him to return to the bedroom.
Chu Rong stopped in his tracks, nodded to his family, and carried the youth towards their room.
The three of them watched them walk away. Chu Huai, who had been observing Chu Rong’s expression closely, frowned and said, “Lao Er’s condition still doesn’t seem right. His spiritual power is all over the place, and there’s still blood on Qiao’s pajamas.”
“Qiao must have noticed something off with Erge too. He’s usually so thin-skinned, but he didn’t leave Erge’s arms just now.” Chu Yan agreed, also frowning. “What really happened that night in the ward? Erge is clearly in a state of excessive nervousness regarding Qiao.”
Gu Yan’an sighed quietly as she reached out to touch her belly, feeling troubled.
It’s all her fault. If she hadn’t been so gullible, Qiao Zhiya wouldn’t have gotten injured trying to save the baby, and Xiao Rong wouldn’t have…
“Let’s have breakfast first.”
Seeing her self-blame, Chu Huai quickly changed the subject, stepping forward to embrace her shoulders and divert her attention. Then, he glanced at Chu Yan, giving him a look that said, “Let’s talk alone later.”
Chu Yan scratched his head, closed his mouth, rubbed his face with a troubled expression, and then followed them.
Once back in their bedroom, Qiao Zhiya immediately jumped off the ground, retrieved a vial of Yellow Leaf Tree potion from his storage bracelet, drank it himself, and then immediately took out another vial, offering it to Chu Rong’s lips, indicating for him to drink it.
Chu Rong glanced at Qiao Zhiya’s lips, which looked very moist after drinking the potion, and obediently drank the potion offered by him.
After he finished, Qiao Zhiya quickly took out another homemade spiritual soothing potion and fed it to him again, leaning into his embrace.
Chu Rong paused for a moment, extended his arm to hold him, and continued to drink.
Qiao Zhiya smiled with narrowed eyes, rewarding him with a kiss on the cheek, and then buried his head in the storage bracelet, searching. He found a piece of jade carved with magic arrays that he hadn’t used in a long time, tied it to his spatial button, then grabbed Chu Rong’s hand, blushing slightly as he said, “I want to have breakfast in the bedroom, just the two of us. Is that okay?”
With several potions consumed and Qiao Zhiya’s intentional soothing, Chu Rong’s spiritual power and emotions gradually stabilized. He gently brushed Qiao Zhiya’s hair aside, glanced at the small bump on his forehead hidden by his hair, nodded, and then bent down to cup his face and kissed him.
Qiao Zhiya obediently closed his eyes, responded with a kiss, and continued to affectionately stroke Chu Rong’s back with his hand, comforting him.
After washing up, Chu Rong had the old butler bring breakfast to the room. The two of them sat by the window table, filled their stomachs under the warm sunlight, and then Qiao Zhiya pulled Chu Rong into the bathroom to help him shower.
Upon waking up, he noticed that he was dry and wearing soft pajamas, obviously being taken care of carefully. Chu Rong, on the other hand, looked very disheveled, still wearing his outdoor clothes, wrinkled and stained with blood.
“Your stubble is growing out.”
Qiao Zhiya helped Chu Rong waterproof his injured arm, then helped him take off his shirt. He reached up to touch Chu Rong’s face, furrowing his brows, then touched his own face, sighing, “Why can’t I grow a beard…” Dwarves, after all, were famous for their facial hair.
Thinking of this, he remembered his own father’s face, who also couldn’t grow a beard. His eyes suddenly lit up, and he stood on tiptoe to rub Chu Rong’s chin with stubble, hanging onto him and cooing, “I’ve always envied other kids who could rub their dad’s beard, but I couldn’t… Chu Rong, you’re so kind.”
Feeling his intimate nuzzling, Chu Rong’s heart, which had been tightly clenched since the appearance of the magic array, gradually relaxed as if a dry sponge had been soaked in warm water. He hugged his cute and considerate lover tightly, let out a long sigh, and whispered, “Don’t leave me…”
As he moved, his arm accidentally brushed against the shower’s sensor, and warm water sprayed down, quickly wetting both of them.
He closed his eyes, his disheveled white hair hanging down, water droplets sliding down his cheeks, momentarily resembling tears.
Qiao Zhiya was stunned. Although he knew that crying was just his own illusion – Chu Rong couldn’t possibly cry at this time – his heart still clenched fiercely. He leaned his head against Chu Rong’s wet cheek, gently rubbing it, and replied, “It’s okay. I’m sorry, I won’t be so reckless in the future. I’m fine now, really. Don’t worry, and don’t be sad. It’s my fault.”
Qiao Zhiya didn’t remember the “dream” about the magic array, so he thought Chu Rong’s discomfort was because of his own coma last night. Now that he saw Chu Rong finally relax his emotions, he quickly comforted him.
Chu Rong didn’t say much in response, just leaned his head down to kiss his forehead, his gaze sweeping over the small bump on his forehead that was revealed after his hair got wet, his eyes darkening, and his arms tightening even more.
The two of them lingered in the bathroom for a long time before coming out. Afterwards, Qiao Zhiya imitated the way Chu Rong used to take care of himself and pushed him onto the bed, lying down beside him with his head on his chest, letting him listen to his steady heartbeat, coaxing, “Sleep, you need to get better soon. Everyone is very worried about you.”
Chu Rong had never been in such a protective posture with him before. Listening to his steady heartbeat, he extended his arm to hold his waist. After his emotions relaxed, exhaustion washed over him, and he slowly closed his eyes.
Qiao Zhiya continued to gently stroke his hair, occasionally leaning down to kiss his forehead.
After making sure that Chu Rong had fallen asleep, he gently withdrew his hand, first touching the bump on his own head, then subconsciously scratching his neck, feeling unbearably itchy. He frowned for a few seconds, but quickly pushed this aside after hearing Chu Rong’s steady breathing, burying his head in the storage bracelet and taking out a bottle of homemade sleep aid potion. After waving it in the air, he tentatively moved it towards Chu Rong, who showed no reaction. He then carefully surrounded Chu Rong with magic.
In his dream, Chu Rong seemed to sense something, frowning as if he wanted to wake up. Qiao Zhiya quickly waved the bottle of sleep aid potion again and gently nudged it downwards a bit, continuing to gently stroke his hair and rub his forehead.
Feeling the gentle aura of his lover, Chu Rong’s furrowed brows gradually relaxed as he fell asleep again.
The healing aura of the wood-elemental magic permeated the room. Chu Rong’s breath became increasingly gentle. His unstable spiritual power also obediently subsided. Then, one stream of spiritual power drifted over protectively, intertwining with the magic. Qiao Zhiya was also affected by the sleep aid potion and couldn’t help but yawn, gradually falling asleep as well.
In their dreams, both of them longed for each other, so their powers entangled in the air, reluctant to separate.
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Time seemed to pause for a few seconds. Chu Rong’s expression changed, and he reached out to touch the strange little bump on Qiao Zhiya’s forehead.
The wound on Chu Rong’s arm, still oozing blood, came directly in front of him. Qiao Zhiya’s eyes widened, and he reached out to touch it, but suddenly felt an itch on his forehead. The itch spread throughout his body, causing him to shudder involuntarily. Reflexively, he raised his hand to cover the spot where he had just been touched, then froze when he felt a hard little bump.
“What’s this?” he asked foolishly.
Chu Rong tightened his grip, his rationality almost crumbling under the torment of the strange things that had been happening these past few days. He spoke with a heavy tone, “Damn it, I want to know what this is too!”
First, the strange magic array, and now this. The constant unknown made him feel extremely irritable!
Qiao Zhiya hadn’t seen him this visibly angry in a long time. He was scared stiff, his ears frozen in place. He hurriedly leaned over and rubbed against him, comforting him while saying, “This is probably something I bumped into. Don’t worry, let me bandage your wound first, okay?”
Chu Rong didn’t respond, but instead hugged him tightly. Feeling his real body warmth, he took a deep breath, suppressing his increasingly uncontrollable emotions after his spiritual ordeal. He held Qiao Zhiya’s startled ears, then lifted him up and strode out of the room.
Qiao Zhiya also sensed the obvious turmoil in his spirit and felt extremely worried. He wanted to use magic to calm him down, but remembered his earlier words and hesitated. So, he obediently nestled in his arms, stabilizing his emotions with his actions.
What’s going on? He was very puzzled.
He had only slept for a while, how did Chu Rong become like this? Unstable spiritual state, injured arm, volatile emotions, as if he had experienced some huge shock. Could it be from before, at the presidential palace…
Wait! The presidential palace!
The baby!
He struggled to shake his ears, which were being held down, and anxiously asked, “How is Dasao and the baby? I—”
Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Gu Yan’an, who emerged from the kitchen upon hearing movement. Seeing her flushed complexion and stable breathing, he breathed a sigh of relief and was about to greet her with a smile. However, his head was suddenly grabbed from behind, and Chu Rong forcibly pressed it back against his chest.
“No peeking,” Chu Rong ordered gruffly.
Qiao Zhiya shook his ears and obediently retreated, not moving.
—Chu Rong seemed even more unreasonable after falling ill.
Chu Rong hurried Qiao Zhiya to the medical room, sitting with a frozen face as he watched Zhuang Yu give Qiao Zhiya a detailed examination. He kept holding one of Qiao Zhiya’s hands, his spiritual power constantly swirling around Qiao Zhiya, scaring the assistants in the medical room so much that they dared not approach.
“How is he?” Chu Rong immediately asked when Zhuang Yu withdrew her instruments.
“No problem with his body. As for this bump on his forehead… it seems to be bone,” Zhuang Yu replied conscientiously, ignoring her own terrifying aura.
Chu Rong frowned and asked, “Bone? How could a piece of bone protrude from Qiao Zhiya’s forehead? Could it be from his brain…”
“No, no, no, that’s too scary. There’s nothing wrong with Qiao’s skull.”
Zhuang Yu hurriedly interrupted her boss’s terrifying speculation. She pulled out Qiao Zhiya’s brain scan and showed it to him, explaining, “Qiao Zhiya’s skull is normal, and bones from the brain wouldn’t protrude through the skin like this. His current condition is more like… er, growing a horn.”
With no damage to the skull, the appearance of a bone protruding from the forehead to the top of the head, visible through the skin, could only be likened to the phenomenon of animals growing horns. And judging from the current appearance of this small bump on Qiao Zhiya, it should be a pair, but only one had emerged for now.
Just like how animals with horns would grow one at a time in their childhood, Qiao Zhiya felt itchy because the bump behind this one would probably continue to grow.
“A horn?”
Chu Rong’s expression became even more terrifying. He looked at Qiao Zhiya, only to find that the latter was tinkering with something, and his bangs conveniently covered the still very mini bump.
He couldn’t help but reach out to lift Qiao Zhiya’s bangs, but his other arm suddenly ached. He lowered his head and saw that Qiao Zhiya had deftly bandaged his wound while he was talking to Zhuang Yu. During this time, he hadn’t felt any pain except for the moment when the bandage was wrapped around.
“You used magic?”
His face darkened, and he stopped lifting Qiao Zhiya’s hair, instead holding his forehead and supporting his head.
Qiao Zhiya stiffened, not expecting to be caught so quickly. His ears trembled with guilt, and he avoided eye contact, pretending to be casual as he reached for the medical kit Zhuang Yu had put aside. At the same time, he slowly pulled Chu Rong’s hand towards himself, nonchalantly staring at Zhuang Yu, and replied, “Chu Rong, I’m hungry…”
Chu Rong frowned at his words, recalling how Qiao Zhiya had been unconscious for so long without eating anything. He couldn’t bring himself to scold him, so he stood up, ready to carry him away. However, he paused and turned to Zhuang Yu, asking, “Is this bone growth harmful?”
“No, it’s a normal, healthy bone. Sir, I don’t think you need to be so nervous. Exoplanet Natives often have appearances different from ordinary people, and horns are not unheard of. Perhaps Qiao Zhiya’s case is just a normal developspiritual phenomenon,” Zhuang Yu quickly replied. Her gaze briefly met Qiao Zhiya’s, who was peeking out from Chu Rong’s arms, exchanging a tacit understanding before both of them averted their eyes.
Chu Rong also recalled the Exoplanet Natives he had seen with horns on their foreheads, and his slightly furrowed brows relaxed. He nodded at Zhuang Yu and then turned to leave.
Zhuang Yu watched them go, glanced at the medical kit left beside Qiao Zhiya’s seat, and waved the examination report in her hand with a smile and a shake of her head — indeed, Qiao Zhiya knew how to handle the boss’s bad temper.
‘But this horn…’ she raised the report again and sighed slightly, feeling a headache coming on.
Whenever the boss had issues with his spiritual power, his temper would become super bad. It was tough.
In the main house’s living room, Chu Huai and Chu Yan had all gathered upon receiving Gu Yan’an’s notification. They were about to go to the medical room together when they saw Chu Rong coming back with Qiao Zhiya, who had already had his wound bandaged.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Chu Yan couldn’t help but rush forward and ask, “Erge, what did Zhuang say? Is Qiao okay?”
Chu Rong shook his head, his expression grim.
However, Qiao Zhiya, nestled in Chu Rong’s arms, vigorously nodded and softly reassured, “I’m fine, everyone, don’t worry.” After speaking, his gaze shifted to Gu Yan’an standing behind Chu Yan, then to her belly, his ears twitching as he flashed a smile.
Seeing him like this, Gu Yan’an finally let go of her worries. Ignoring Chu Rong’s sour face, she just smiled and greeted Qiao Zhiya, “As long as you’re better. Breakfast is ready. Come and eat.”
“I’ll go freshen up first.” Qiao Zhiya replied bashfully, then patted Chu Rong, who was about to head to the dining room, signaling him to return to the bedroom.
Chu Rong stopped in his tracks, nodded to his family, and carried the youth towards their room.
The three of them watched them walk away. Chu Huai, who had been observing Chu Rong’s expression closely, frowned and said, “Lao Er’s condition still doesn’t seem right. His spiritual power is all over the place, and there’s still blood on Qiao’s pajamas.”
“Qiao must have noticed something off with Erge too. He’s usually so thin-skinned, but he didn’t leave Erge’s arms just now.” Chu Yan agreed, also frowning. “What really happened that night in the ward? Erge is clearly in a state of excessive nervousness regarding Qiao.”
Gu Yan’an sighed quietly as she reached out to touch her belly, feeling troubled.
It’s all her fault. If she hadn’t been so gullible, Qiao Zhiya wouldn’t have gotten injured trying to save the baby, and Xiao Rong wouldn’t have…
“Let’s have breakfast first.”
Seeing her self-blame, Chu Huai quickly changed the subject, stepping forward to embrace her shoulders and divert her attention. Then, he glanced at Chu Yan, giving him a look that said, “Let’s talk alone later.”
Chu Yan scratched his head, closed his mouth, rubbed his face with a troubled expression, and then followed them.
Once back in their bedroom, Qiao Zhiya immediately jumped off the ground, retrieved a vial of Yellow Leaf Tree potion from his storage bracelet, drank it himself, and then immediately took out another vial, offering it to Chu Rong’s lips, indicating for him to drink it.
Chu Rong glanced at Qiao Zhiya’s lips, which looked very moist after drinking the potion, and obediently drank the potion offered by him.
After he finished, Qiao Zhiya quickly took out another homemade spiritual soothing potion and fed it to him again, leaning into his embrace.
Chu Rong paused for a moment, extended his arm to hold him, and continued to drink.
Qiao Zhiya smiled with narrowed eyes, rewarding him with a kiss on the cheek, and then buried his head in the storage bracelet, searching. He found a piece of jade carved with magic arrays that he hadn’t used in a long time, tied it to his spatial button, then grabbed Chu Rong’s hand, blushing slightly as he said, “I want to have breakfast in the bedroom, just the two of us. Is that okay?”
With several potions consumed and Qiao Zhiya’s intentional soothing, Chu Rong’s spiritual power and emotions gradually stabilized. He gently brushed Qiao Zhiya’s hair aside, glanced at the small bump on his forehead hidden by his hair, nodded, and then bent down to cup his face and kissed him.
Qiao Zhiya obediently closed his eyes, responded with a kiss, and continued to affectionately stroke Chu Rong’s back with his hand, comforting him.
After washing up, Chu Rong had the old butler bring breakfast to the room. The two of them sat by the window table, filled their stomachs under the warm sunlight, and then Qiao Zhiya pulled Chu Rong into the bathroom to help him shower.
Upon waking up, he noticed that he was dry and wearing soft pajamas, obviously being taken care of carefully. Chu Rong, on the other hand, looked very disheveled, still wearing his outdoor clothes, wrinkled and stained with blood.
“Your stubble is growing out.”
Qiao Zhiya helped Chu Rong waterproof his injured arm, then helped him take off his shirt. He reached up to touch Chu Rong’s face, furrowing his brows, then touched his own face, sighing, “Why can’t I grow a beard…” Dwarves, after all, were famous for their facial hair.
Thinking of this, he remembered his own father’s face, who also couldn’t grow a beard. His eyes suddenly lit up, and he stood on tiptoe to rub Chu Rong’s chin with stubble, hanging onto him and cooing, “I’ve always envied other kids who could rub their dad’s beard, but I couldn’t… Chu Rong, you’re so kind.”
Feeling his intimate nuzzling, Chu Rong’s heart, which had been tightly clenched since the appearance of the magic array, gradually relaxed as if a dry sponge had been soaked in warm water. He hugged his cute and considerate lover tightly, let out a long sigh, and whispered, “Don’t leave me…”
As he moved, his arm accidentally brushed against the shower’s sensor, and warm water sprayed down, quickly wetting both of them.
He closed his eyes, his disheveled white hair hanging down, water droplets sliding down his cheeks, momentarily resembling tears.
Qiao Zhiya was stunned. Although he knew that crying was just his own illusion – Chu Rong couldn’t possibly cry at this time – his heart still clenched fiercely. He leaned his head against Chu Rong’s wet cheek, gently rubbing it, and replied, “It’s okay. I’m sorry, I won’t be so reckless in the future. I’m fine now, really. Don’t worry, and don’t be sad. It’s my fault.”
Qiao Zhiya didn’t remember the “dream” about the magic array, so he thought Chu Rong’s discomfort was because of his own coma last night. Now that he saw Chu Rong finally relax his emotions, he quickly comforted him.
Chu Rong didn’t say much in response, just leaned his head down to kiss his forehead, his gaze sweeping over the small bump on his forehead that was revealed after his hair got wet, his eyes darkening, and his arms tightening even more.
The two of them lingered in the bathroom for a long time before coming out. Afterwards, Qiao Zhiya imitated the way Chu Rong used to take care of himself and pushed him onto the bed, lying down beside him with his head on his chest, letting him listen to his steady heartbeat, coaxing, “Sleep, you need to get better soon. Everyone is very worried about you.”
Chu Rong had never been in such a protective posture with him before. Listening to his steady heartbeat, he extended his arm to hold his waist. After his emotions relaxed, exhaustion washed over him, and he slowly closed his eyes.
Qiao Zhiya continued to gently stroke his hair, occasionally leaning down to kiss his forehead.
After making sure that Chu Rong had fallen asleep, he gently withdrew his hand, first touching the bump on his own head, then subconsciously scratching his neck, feeling unbearably itchy. He frowned for a few seconds, but quickly pushed this aside after hearing Chu Rong’s steady breathing, burying his head in the storage bracelet and taking out a bottle of homemade sleep aid potion. After waving it in the air, he tentatively moved it towards Chu Rong, who showed no reaction. He then carefully surrounded Chu Rong with magic.
In his dream, Chu Rong seemed to sense something, frowning as if he wanted to wake up. Qiao Zhiya quickly waved the bottle of sleep aid potion again and gently nudged it downwards a bit, continuing to gently stroke his hair and rub his forehead.
Feeling the gentle aura of his lover, Chu Rong’s furrowed brows gradually relaxed as he fell asleep again.
The healing aura of the wood-elemental magic permeated the room. Chu Rong’s breath became increasingly gentle. His unstable spiritual power also obediently subsided. Then, one stream of spiritual power drifted over protectively, intertwining with the magic. Qiao Zhiya was also affected by the sleep aid potion and couldn’t help but yawn, gradually falling asleep as well.
In their dreams, both of them longed for each other, so their powers entangled in the air, reluctant to separate.
Time seemed to pause for a few seconds. Chu Rong's expression changed, and he reached out to touch the strange little bump on Qiao Zhiya's forehead.The wound on Chu Rong's arm, still oozing blood, came directly in front of him. Qiao Zhiya's eyes widened, and he reached out to touch it, but suddenly felt an itch on his forehead. The itch spread throughout his body, causing him to shudder involuntarily. Reflexively, he raised his hand to cover the spot where he had just been touched, then froze when he felt a hard little bump.What's this? he asked foolishly.Chu Rong tightened his grip, his rationality almost crumbling under the torment of the strange things that had been happening these past few days. He spoke with a heavy tone, Damn it, I want to know what this is too!First, the strange magic array, and now this. The constant unknown made him feel extremely irritable!Qiao Zhiya hadn't seen him this visibly angry in a long time. He was scared stiff, his ears frozen in place. He hurriedly leaned over and rubbed against him, comforting him while saying, This is probably something I bumped into. Don't worry, let me bandage your wound first, okay?Chu Rong didn't respond, but instead hugged him tightly. Feeling his real body warmth, he took a deep breath, suppressing his increasingly uncontrollable emotions after his spiritual ordeal. He held Qiao Zhiya's startled ears, then lifted him up and strode out of the room.Qiao Zhiya also sensed the obvious turmoil in his spirit and felt extremely worried. He wanted to use magic to calm him down, but remembered his earlier words and hesitated. So, he obediently nestled in his arms, stabilizing his emotions with his actions.What's going on? He was very puzzled.He had only slept for a while, how did Chu Rong become like this? Unstable spiritual state, injured arm, volatile emotions, as if he had experienced some huge shock. Could it be from before, at the presidential palaceWait! The presidential palace!The baby!He struggled to shake his ears, which were being held down, and anxiously asked, How is Dasao and the baby? IBefore he could finish his sentence, he saw Gu Yan'an, who emerged from the kitchen upon hearing movement. Seeing her flushed complexion and stable breathing, he breathed a sigh of relief and was about to greet her with a smile. However, his head was suddenly grabbed from behind, and Chu Rong forcibly pressed it back against his chest.No peeking, Chu Rong ordered gruffly.Qiao Zhiya shook his ears and obediently retreated, not moving.Chu Rong seemed even more unreasonable after falling ill.Chu Rong hurried Qiao Zhiya to the medical room, sitting with a frozen face as he watched Zhuang Yu give Qiao Zhiya a detailed examination. He kept holding one of Qiao Zhiya's hands, his spiritual power constantly swirling around Qiao Zhiya, scaring the assistants in the medical room so much that they dared not approach.How is he? Chu Rong immediately asked when Zhuang Yu withdrew her instruments.No problem with his body. As for this bump on his forehead it seems to be bone, Zhuang Yu replied conscientiously, ignoring her own terrifying aura.Chu Rong frowned and asked, Bone? How could a piece of bone protrude from Qiao Zhiya's forehead? Could it be from his brainNo, no, no, that's too scary. There's nothing wrong with Qiao's skull.Zhuang Yu hurriedly interrupted her boss's terrifying speculation. She pulled out Qiao Zhiya's brain scan and showed it to him, explaining, Qiao Zhiya's skull is normal, and bones from the brain wouldn't protrude through the skin like this. His current condition is more like er, growing a horn.With no damage to the skull, the appearance of a bone protruding from the forehead to the top of the head, visible through the skin, could only be likened to the phenomenon of animals growing horns. And judging from the current appearance of this small bump on Qiao Zhiya, it should be a pair, but only one had emerged for now.Just like how animals with horns would grow one at a time in their childhood, Qiao Zhiya felt itchy because the bump behind this one would probably continue to grow.A horn?Chu Rong's expression became even more terrifying. He looked at Qiao Zhiya, only to find that the latter was tinkering with something, and his bangs conveniently covered the still very mini bump.He couldn't help but reach out to lift Qiao Zhiya's bangs, but his other arm suddenly ached. He lowered his head and saw that Qiao Zhiya had deftly bandaged his wound while he was talking to Zhuang Yu. During this time, he hadn't felt any pain except for the moment when the bandage was wrapped around.You used magic?His face darkened, and he stopped lifting Qiao Zhiya's hair, instead holding his forehead and supporting his head.Qiao Zhiya stiffened, not expecting to be caught so quickly. His ears trembled with guilt, and he avoided eye contact, pretending to be casual as he reached for the medical kit Zhuang Yu had put aside. At the same time, he slowly pulled Chu Rong's hand towards himself, nonchalantly staring at Zhuang Yu, and replied, Chu Rong, I'm hungryChu Rong frowned at his words, recalling how Qiao Zhiya had been unconscious for so long without eating anything. He couldn't bring himself to scold him, so he stood up, ready to carry him away. However, he paused and turned to Zhuang Yu, asking, Is this bone growth harmful?No, it's a normal, healthy bone. Sir, I don't think you need to be so nervous. Exoplanet Natives often have appearances different from ordinary people, and horns are not unheard of. Perhaps Qiao Zhiya's case is just a normal developspiritual phenomenon, Zhuang Yu quickly replied. Her gaze briefly met Qiao Zhiya's, who was peeking out from Chu Rong's arms, exchanging a tacit understanding before both of them averted their eyes.Chu Rong also recalled the Exoplanet Natives he had seen with horns on their foreheads, and his slightly furrowed brows relaxed. He nodded at Zhuang Yu and then turned to leave.Zhuang Yu watched them go, glanced at the medical kit left beside Qiao Zhiya's seat, and waved the examination report in her hand with a smile and a shake of her head indeed, Qiao Zhiya knew how to handle the boss's bad temper.But this horn' she raised the report again and sighed slightly, feeling a headache coming on.Whenever the boss had issues with his spiritual power, his temper would become super bad. It was tough.In the main house's living room, Chu Huai and Chu Yan had all gathered upon receiving Gu Yan'an's notification. They were about to go to the medical room together when they saw Chu Rong coming back with Qiao Zhiya, who had already had his wound bandaged.Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Chu Yan couldn't help but rush forward and ask, Erge, what did Zhuang say? Is Qiao okay?Chu Rong shook his head, his expression grim.However, Qiao Zhiya, nestled in Chu Rong's arms, vigorously nodded and softly reassured, I'm fine, everyone, don't worry. After speaking, his gaze shifted to Gu Yan'an standing behind Chu Yan, then to her belly, his ears twitching as he flashed a smile.Seeing him like this, Gu Yan'an finally let go of her worries. Ignoring Chu Rong's sour face, she just smiled and greeted Qiao Zhiya, As long as you're better. Breakfast is ready. Come and eat.I'll go freshen up first. Qiao Zhiya replied bashfully, then patted Chu Rong, who was about to head to the dining room, signaling him to return to the bedroom.Chu Rong stopped in his tracks, nodded to his family, and carried the youth towards their room.The three of them watched them walk away. Chu Huai, who had been observing Chu Rong's expression closely, frowned and said, Lao Er's condition still doesn't seem right. His spiritual power is all over the place, and there's still blood on Qiao's pajamas.Qiao must have noticed something off with Erge too. He's usually so thin-skinned, but he didn't leave Erge's arms just now. Chu Yan agreed, also frowning. What really happened that night in the ward? Erge is clearly in a state of excessive nervousness regarding Qiao.Gu Yan'an sighed quietly as she reached out to touch her belly, feeling troubled.It's all her fault. If she hadn't been so gullible, Qiao Zhiya wouldn't have gotten injured trying to save the baby, and Xiao Rong wouldn't haveLet's have breakfast first.Seeing her self-blame, Chu Huai quickly changed the subject, stepping forward to embrace her shoulders and divert her attention. Then, he glanced at Chu Yan, giving him a look that said, Let's talk alone later.Chu Yan scratched his head, closed his mouth, rubbed his face with a troubled expression, and then followed them.Once back in their bedroom, Qiao Zhiya immediately jumped off the ground, retrieved a vial of Yellow Leaf Tree potion from his storage bracelet, drank it himself, and then immediately took out another vial, offering it to Chu Rong's lips, indicating for him to drink it.Chu Rong glanced at Qiao Zhiya's lips, which looked very moist after drinking the potion, and obediently drank the potion offered by him.After he finished, Qiao Zhiya quickly took out another homemade spiritual soothing potion and fed it to him again, leaning into his embrace.Chu Rong paused for a moment, extended his arm to hold him, and continued to drink.Qiao Zhiya smiled with narrowed eyes, rewarding him with a kiss on the cheek, and then buried his head in the storage bracelet, searching. He found a piece of jade carved with magic arrays that he hadn't used in a long time, tied it to his spatial button, then grabbed Chu Rong's hand, blushing slightly as he said, I want to have breakfast in the bedroom, just the two of us. Is that okay?With several potions consumed and Qiao Zhiya's intentional soothing, Chu Rong's spiritual power and emotions gradually stabilized. He gently brushed Qiao Zhiya's hair aside, glanced at the small bump on his forehead hidden by his hair, nodded, and then bent down to cup his face and kissed him.Qiao Zhiya obediently closed his eyes, responded with a kiss, and continued to affectionately stroke Chu Rong's back with his hand, comforting him.After washing up, Chu Rong had the old butler bring breakfast to the room. The two of them sat by the window table, filled their stomachs under the warm sunlight, and then Qiao Zhiya pulled Chu Rong into the bathroom to help him shower.Upon waking up, he noticed that he was dry and wearing soft pajamas, obviously being taken care of carefully. Chu Rong, on the other hand, looked very disheveled, still wearing his outdoor clothes, wrinkled and stained with blood.Your stubble is growing out.Qiao Zhiya helped Chu Rong waterproof his injured arm, then helped him take off his shirt. He reached up to touch Chu Rong's face, furrowing his brows, then touched his own face, sighing, Why can't I grow a beard Dwarves, after all, were famous for their facial hair.Thinking of this, he remembered his own father's face, who also couldn't grow a beard. His eyes suddenly lit up, and he stood on tiptoe to rub Chu Rong's chin with stubble, hanging onto him and cooing, I've always envied other kids who could rub their dad's beard, but I couldn't Chu Rong, you're so kind.Feeling his intimate nuzzling, Chu Rong's heart, which had been tightly clenched since the appearance of the magic array, gradually relaxed as if a dry sponge had been soaked in warm water. He hugged his cute and considerate lover tightly, let out a long sigh, and whispered, Don't leave meAs he moved, his arm accidentally brushed against the shower's sensor, and warm water sprayed down, quickly wetting both of them.He closed his eyes, his disheveled white hair hanging down, water droplets sliding down his cheeks, momentarily resembling tears.Qiao Zhiya was stunned. Although he knew that crying was just his own illusion Chu Rong couldn't possibly cry at this time his heart still clenched fiercely. He leaned his head against Chu Rong's wet cheek, gently rubbing it, and replied, It's okay. I'm sorry, I won't be so reckless in the future. I'm fine now, really. Don't worry, and don't be sad. It's my fault.Qiao Zhiya didn't remember the dream about the magic array, so he thought Chu Rong's discomfort was because of his own coma last night. Now that he saw Chu Rong finally relax his emotions, he quickly comforted him.Chu Rong didn't say much in response, just leaned his head down to kiss his forehead, his gaze sweeping over the small bump on his forehead that was revealed after his hair got wet, his eyes darkening, and his arms tightening even more.The two of them lingered in the bathroom for a long time before coming out. Afterwards, Qiao Zhiya imitated the way Chu Rong used to take care of himself and pushed him onto the bed, lying down beside him with his head on his chest, letting him listen to his steady heartbeat, coaxing, Sleep, you need to get better soon. Everyone is very worried about you.Chu Rong had never been in such a protective posture with him before. Listening to his steady heartbeat, he extended his arm to hold his waist. After his emotions relaxed, exhaustion washed over him, and he slowly closed his eyes.Qiao Zhiya continued to gently stroke his hair, occasionally leaning down to kiss his forehead.After making sure that Chu Rong had fallen asleep, he gently withdrew his hand, first touching the bump on his own head, then subconsciously scratching his neck, feeling unbearably itchy. He frowned for a few seconds, but quickly pushed this aside after hearing Chu Rong's steady breathing, burying his head in the storage bracelet and taking out a bottle of homemade sleep aid potion. After waving it in the air, he tentatively moved it towards Chu Rong, who showed no reaction. He then carefully surrounded Chu Rong with magic.In his dream, Chu Rong seemed to sense something, frowning as if he wanted to wake up. Qiao Zhiya quickly waved the bottle of sleep aid potion again and gently nudged it downwards a bit, continuing to gently stroke his hair and rub his forehead.Feeling the gentle aura of his lover, Chu Rong's furrowed brows gradually relaxed as he fell asleep again.The healing aura of the wood-elemental magic permeated the room. Chu Rong's breath became increasingly gentle. His unstable spiritual power also obediently subsided. Then, one stream of spiritual power drifted over protectively, intertwining with the magic. Qiao Zhiya was also affected by the sleep aid potion and couldn't help but yawn, gradually falling asleep as well.In their dreams, both of them longed for each other, so their powers entangled in the air, reluctant to separate.
