Chapter 60
Qin Huan showed his forgiveness to Shen Qi through his actions. By the time everything was over, Shen Qi felt half-dead. Trembling, he crawled into the medical pod. Once again, he was full of praise for the interstellar society. It was great, wonderful, and beyond compare.
All said and done, all the 'hardship' was worth it. Qin Huan's suspicion seemed to have temporarily subsided after their heart-to-heart discussion. At least he was no longer torturing himself at every turn.
Sometimes, Qin Huan would still subconsciously doubt and hesitate. But Shen Qi kept a strict eye on him now. With just one look, he could tell what Qin Huan was thinking. Upon noticing any signs of discomfort, he would immediately connect with him on a mental level, soothing his unease.
Qin Huan was aware of his irregularity and was willing to cooperate with treatment. He left the medical treatments to Vick, and trusted Shen Qi entirely with communication aspects.
"Do you want to play together?" Shen Qi was pestering Qin Huan, trying to get him to join him in a game. In the interstellar age, one must experience virtual online gaming. Ever since they had formed a contract, the signal scrambler was destroyed by Qin Huan.
Shen Qi had chosen an oriental-styled online game that had high ratings. It was reportedly around for twenty years, and its 20th commemoration was being celebrated with numerous awards.
Qin Huan was not particularly interested. Although his condition improved, he was not fond of any activity involving Shen Qi interacting with others. Before, he used to feign indifference. Now, he didn’t even bother hiding his jealousy. He wished he could have Shen Qi's undivided attention every minute of every day.
Shen Qi raised his hand to swear, "I promise, I will only play when you're around and I will avoid unnecessary interactions with other players online, okay?"
Still, Qin Huan was not very eager.
Shen Qi acted hurt. His eyes reddened, welling up with tears, and his expression was full of grievance. "It's just a game. No one would know who I am. I’ve agreed to stay here with you and go nowhere else. Can't I even take a look at the outside world in a virtual landscape? I have been on this abandoned planet for so many years. I've barely had a chance to see much beyond the Imperial city, haven’t even made a full round of the Imperial star, and I…"
He feigned a crying expression, "I knew it; you don't truly love me. This is merely possessiveness. If you genuinely loved me, how could you bear to see me so heartbroken…"
Despite knowing that Shen Qi was using this act to make him yield and that this wasn't the first time, Qin Huan still felt a pang of distress. He couldn't bear the sight of Shen Qi looking so sad and disappointed. Resigned, he said, "Okay, I agree to your proposal, but remember what you promised before."
Shen Qi quietly gave a small cheer.
Just you wait, you little rascal.
So, both of them entered the game with alter egos. While their features couldn't be altered, they could be toned down, which is what they did. They also changed their hair and eye color, making sure no one would recognize their identity.
This was the first time Shen Qi had seen Qin Huan without a mask. Even though his handsome features were toned down, they were still attractive. His black eyes felt familiar to Shen Qi.
Shen Qi also chose black eyes and a refined face. Together, they made a harmonious and compatible pair.
In the game, Shen Qi was like a fish in water, playing happily. Though accustomed to a life away from crowds, he didn't like staying in one place. If it weren't for Qin Huan, he would have gone on a journey across the galaxy long ago.
They couldn't sightsee in reality, so the virtual game offered some consolation.
With today's technology, virtual experiences had become 100% lifelike. Shen Qi enjoyed the ancient-style game immensely, especially its beautiful landscapes, which were said to have been recreated from many famous scenes.
Initially, Qin Huan wasn't too interested as this game was more casual; it targeted players who didn't like combat and focused on replicating real-life experiences such as eating, living, and traveling. Many people built homes and farmed in the game, treating it as their second home.
However, Qin Huan's attitude changed dramatically when their intimacy level increased as they completed the matchmaker's quests and got married in the game.
Shen Qi had never researched game strategies, so he was surprised to learn that physical contact could be made in the game. When the intimacy level reached a certain point, the characters could hold hands and kiss, and even more intimate interaction was possible after getting married in the game.
Now that there was this incentive, Qin Huan's attitude couldn't help but change.
In reality, they could only interact within the limits of their confinement, but in the virtual world, as long as they didn't expose themselves to other players, they could play however and wherever they wanted.
As a result, Shen Qi was exhausted from their round-the-clock activities.
New scenarios and various surreal experiences have been added to his Longyang Anthology.
But aside from the fun, Shen Qi also worked on serious tasks. He helped rewrite the core program for the SkyNet, improved its version, and ensured that no one could break into it.
________________________
A year, two years, and by the fifth year of their marriage, Qin Huan's health finally showed some improvement. At the moment his inner conflict was alleviated, his happiness value soared to 60—considered passing and it was a considerable relief for Shen Qi.
Qin Huan's happiness level had been the most difficult to raise so far. Shen Qi prepared himself for the long-term, after all, he was determined to be there for Qin Huan throughout their lives.
Over these five years, Shen Qi's presence helped improve the public's opinion of Qin Huan, the crown prince. It was as if they were gradually returning to the old times, with fewer people bringing up the past massacre. Their focus shifted instead to the non-stop display of affection between the couple.
Shen Qi also set up a virtual home domain. As if challenging Qin Huan, if the latter posted a picture of his, he would respond with a picture of Qin Huan. They complimented each other endlessly in an almost embarrassing way. Initially, the public mockingly commented on their posts, but over time it became an accepted trend.
With the royal family's deliberate guidance, Qin Huan's image and reputation improved significantly.
By the time of their tenth marriage anniversary, when Qin Huan was forty and Shen Qi twenty-eight, the royal relatives and ministers prompted the couple to consider having a child.
Shen Qi was indifferent about it, he even found the idea plausible. After all, with the advancements in technology in the star age, he did not need to conceive the child himself. All they needed to do was extract their genetic data. Ten months later, they could have a healthy child. It wouldn't be the first time he raised a child, and considering Qin Huan's status, it was necessary to have an heir.
However, Qin Huan strongly disagreed, which resulted in a significant outburst against the ministers. He even nearly fell ill again.
Shen Qi woke up in the middle of the night, startled to see Qin Huan, lying on his side and gazing at him intently.
"What's... what's the matter?" He sat up as the sensor light on his side of the bed automatically turned on.
Qin Huan did not move, only stared at him. He didn't wear his mask much in front of Shen Qi anymore, half his face shrouded in the dim light, his gaze gloomy. "Do you really like children?" he asked.
Shen Qi could vaguely guess what Qin Huan was thinking. Having lived together for so many years, Shen Qi promptly stated, "No, I wouldn't say I particularly like or dislike children. If you don't want a child, then we won't have one."
Qin Huan sat up, "Really?"
"Really," Shen Qi confirmed, "But the ministers will definitely not agree. The royal family needs an heir."
Qin Huan looked relieved, he held Shen Qi, "I will handle this."
He murmured, almost pleading, "Can we not have children? I only have you, and you only have me, isn't that enough? You say now that you are indifferent, but when a child comes, you will definitely divert your attention to them. I don't like it when your attention is on others, even if it's our child…"
He buried his face in Shen Qi's neck, his voice filled with anxiety and confusion, "I'm sorry, I'm scared, scared that I might not be able to refrain from killing them then, just thinking of them taking your time, no, I can't even bear the thought of them touching you, you're mine, only mine!"
He tightened his arms, as if trying to embed Shen Qi into his body.
Shen Qi had already guessed his worry, and he sighed, calming Qin Huan down with various promises that they absolutely would not have children. Furthermore, if Qin Huan did not agree, there was no way Shen Qi could reproduce on his own.
Shen Qi wondered how Qin Huan would handle the ministers. He initially thought Qin Huan would select someone from the royal family to adopt as their heir, but to his surprise, Qin Huan used the king's genes and found the most compatible genes in the gene bank. He planned to cultivate and raise him as the crown prince's younger brother.
This unborn prince-like figure seemed to be a lucky symbol. Before he was even born, the king who had been in a coma for forty years surprisingly woke up.
In the interstellar era, the average lifespan could reach 150 years, and the longest-lived individual, a double-S tier genius of spiritual power, lived up to 222 years old.
The king had an accident when he was just in his early thirties. Now, in his seventies, he is still in his prime. As soon as he woke up, he reclaimed the throne.
However, Qin Huan had been in control of the empire for many years, longer than the king has ruled. After all, Qin Huan was raised as a ruler from a young age, while the king only ascended to the throne when he was in his twenties.
Unavoidably, conflicts arose between the two.
Especially since the king's favorite concubine and child were killed by Qin Huan himself. The king's temperament still remained from his younger, more impulsive days.
However, the already powerless king was destined for a failed resistance. He was thrown by Qin Huan into the depths of the palace to raise children. As for how he raised them, and whether the children would be raised improperly, Qin Huan cared little. The only thing he cared about in his life was Shen Qi.
Shen Qi never expected that he would die unexpectedly early in this life. In this era where the average lifespan was 150 years, he only lived until 98, not even reaching a hundred.
He faintly understood the reason, likely to be the constraint of rules. His body was weakening day by day, a kind of weakness that even advanced medical technology could never detect.
But this was the first time in several worlds that he didn't die looking worn and aged, but more like in his forties. This was also the first time that he left first.
Shen Qi pulled Qin Huan's hand and smiled, "This is good too. Look, my image in your mind will always be young, saving you from thinking that I've aged and looking for others instead."
With Qin Huan's triple-S tier spiritual power, even without a soul mate, he could live very long. Perhaps he might even outlive that double-S tier long-lived individual. Though Shen Qi really doubted whether he would die of a broken heart.
Qin Huan's eyes were bright red, filled with pain. His hand shivered as he held on to Shen Qi. His shivering made Shen Qi laugh again, jokingly saying, "Stop shaking. If you're this shaky now, what will you do when you get older?"
Shen Qi had become so weak that he could no longer stay awake. Occasionally, when he woke up, he would say a few words and then close his eyes again.
Every time he woke up, Qin Huan was by his side. He had passed on his crown prince title to his younger brother long ago. Qin Huan had always been the crown prince, while the king still wanted to retain his power. The new crown prince, whom Qin Huan had reared, pushed him down. It's said the king succumbed to a heart attack due to his anger.
By the time Shen Qi and Qin Huan received the news, they were no longer in the imperial city but had settled on a deserted planet on Suzaku Star. This was Qin Huan's personal territory.
The last time Shen Qi woke up, he felt as if he was lying in a sealed space. He opened his eyes and saw Qin Huan lying next to him. The realization hit him - this was a coffin!
"Shhh..." Seeing Shen Qi wake up, Qin Huan smiled gently, in a terrifyingly gentle way. He even leaned in to give him a kiss, whispering, "I thought I wouldn't be able to see you one last time. Don't be scared, I'll be with you. Nobody will come to disturb us, we'll be together forever, and no one can tear us apart, Hehe..."
He embraced Shen Qi and casually wiped his hand at the top. Shen Qi smelled a strange scent, and his already weak consciousness soon fell into darkness.
At the last moment, a prompt sounded in his ear:
"Happiness Value +1."
"Happiness Value completely filled."
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