Chapter 64 Then I rode up myself //// If you hadn't always been stealing...

The night outside was as thick as indissoluble ink, and the room was so quiet that you could hear the ticking of the second hand on your watch. The two of them stared at each other from three steps apart, and the air seemed to solidify into jelly at that moment.

Pei Jiqing frowned, a subtle flicker of emotion in his eyes. "Why are you here?" His voice was hoarse from the long journey.

Chen Huixing glanced around the room, taking in the situation in just a few seconds. A tired curve curved his lips, and a faint dark hue tinged his eyes. "...This is my room."

His fingers unconsciously rubbed the cuffs of his uniform. Chen Huixing said, "I'm going out. You rest."

Pei Jiqing looked at the man before him. Two buttons on his uniform collar were undone, revealing his bony collarbone. His eyes were so tired that they threatened to overflow. It was three o'clock in the morning. Throughout the journey, the soldiers in the camp had shown almost undisguised admiration for Shen Huixing, a testament to his high prestige.

"I'll leave now," Pei Jiqing suddenly said, his voice a little softer than before. "You rest."

They were still legally married, so sharing the same room was perfectly normal. Pei Jiqing had been too exhausted yesterday to mention it.

"Everyone's asleep now," Chen Huixing paused, his Adam's apple rolling slightly. "Is it okay if I sleep on the floor?"

Pei Jiqing didn't answer, his silence a promise.

The sound of water dripping in the bathroom lingered for a long time. Pei Jiqing lay on his back in bed, staring at the ceiling. Amidst the hum of steaming water, the hideous scar on Chen Huixing's collarbone loomed before his eyes. New wounds overlapped old ones, glaring against his skin. He rolled over, buried his face in the pillow, and mentally warned himself not to meddle.

Chen Huixing came out very quietly, but Pei Jiqing still heard the sound of the towel rubbing against his hair, the rustling of fabric, and then the sound of the pillow falling to the floor.

Chen Huixing's breathing gradually became heavy, and then slowly calmed down. Pei Jiqing was too familiar with this rhythm. When Chen Huixing fell asleep, he would always unconsciously take a few deep breaths before his breathing became long. During the years they slept in the same bed, this sound was his best lullaby.

When the morning light was dim, Chen Huixing had already gotten up. The blanket was casually rolled to the side, and there were still a few wrinkles on it, proving that someone had rested here for a short time.

He You stood straight outside the door, and when he saw Chen Huixing, he immediately saluted with a standard military salute. Chen Huixing was adjusting the cuffs of his military uniform, and the metal buttons shone coldly in the morning light. He spoke as he fastened his wristband, his voice unrecognizable: "Who told you to send the madam to my room?"

"I acted on my own initiative."

Chen Huixing didn't ask any more questions, but simply smoothed the last wrinkle on his collar: "Well, what should I say if the madam asks?"

"There are no other rooms." He You followed him half a step, "I'll have to inconvenience the madam."

Elsewhere, when Pei Jiqing woke up, only Chen Huixing's dirty military uniform was left in the room, draped over the back of a chair. Sunlight filtered through the gap in the curtains, casting a golden streak on the floor, right next to the pile of clothes. The soldier delivering breakfast knocked on the door and came in, the food still steaming from the tray.

"Madam, the executive officer has instructed us," the soldier said, "If you need to go out, we will arrange a car and personnel to accompany you. Except for a few dangerous areas, there are people to assist you in other places."

Pei Jiqing thanked him, and He You came to apologize shortly afterwards, saying that there were no vacancies at the moment and that the commander rarely came back to rest.

Pei Jiqing said, "Forget it, let's not bother."

Pei Jiqing's eyes fell on the draped military uniform. There were a few faint bloodstains on it, which had dried into a dark brown color.

Lao Yu had seen a lot of wind and waves after all. After a night, there was no change on his face. But Hua Cai had two thick dark circles under her eyes, which even the large black-framed glasses could not hide. She looked listless.

Hua Cai used her index finger to prop up her eyelids: "Brother Pei, I really can't sleep. When I think about this place being by the river and there's still a war going on outside..." She

yawned before she finished speaking, and some natural tears seeped out of the corners of her eyes.

Pei Jiqing comforted her, "It's human nature."

Lao Yu raised an eyebrow at the side, and he suddenly grinned: "Do you live in a different place from us?"

Pei Jiqing said calmly: "The adjutant made a mistake."

Lao Yu said "Oh" meaningfully, dragging out the last syllable.

Pei Jiqing avoided Lao Yu's inquiring gaze and said he was going to get down to business.

As the military jeep rolled over the gravel road, the dust kicked up drifted in the beams of light. Old Yu leaned halfway out the window, his camera casually capturing the empty streets, faded shop signs hanging askew, and metal doors swaying in the wind with a hollow clang.

"Looking for someone?" He You's voice came from the passenger seat. "What are the requirements?"

Pei Jiqing said, "Ordinary people will do."

He You quickly summoned three local residents. An elderly man in a faded plaid shirt was wiping his reading glasses with his sleeve. A young woman, holding a child, clutched a lock of her hair. The boy, who had been silent until then, suddenly spoke.

Pei Jiqing lowered his head to record.

Several adults pieced together the scene of Linhe's past. The pharmaceutical factory needed workers, and bosses from the Asian Union and other countries came.

A woman holding a baby nearby added, "All the other factories have closed down, and the wages aren't enough to survive..."

Old Yu's camera captured the needle marks on the back of the old man's hand, the brown scars like a swarm of ants. The boy said he had been taken for injections at the age of ten.

Pheromone drugs had polluted the river.

The missing person said he went to the new factory area but never returned. Even very young babies were given injections, and it was called the Secondary Sex Development Observation Site.

A young boy was staring at the black smoke rising from the war zone, where his family's rice fields had once been.

The halo of light from the desk lamp cast a small patch of warm yellow on the manuscript paper. Pei Jiqing had just closed his laptop when the door lock turned softly. Chen Huixing pushed the door open, his uniform crisp, his boots stained with mud.

"Are you still awake?" Chen Huixing's voice was chilled. He closed the door behind him.

Pei Jiqing took off his glasses and rubbed his temples, his fingertips pressing against his skin, causing a brief pallor. "Hmm."

As Chen Huixing unbuttoned his coat, the fabric rustled. As he turned to walk towards the clothes rack, Pei Jiqing's gaze fell on the back of his neck, where two suppressant patches were layered. The edges were slightly curled, but they still tightly sealed off all pheromone scent.

The sound of water in the bathroom continued for a long time.

When Chen Huixing emerged, drenched in dampness, Pei Jiqing remained in his original position. Watching him expertly spread the mat, Pei Jiqing suddenly spoke, "Change my room."

Chen Huixing paused, the blanket in his hand dangling in mid-air. Water droplets dripped from his hair, creating tiny splashes on the floor. "There are no vacancies."

"Do you really...don't want to see me?"

The light from the desk lamp drew a sharp line between the two of them. Pei Jiqing stated a fact: "No divorced Alpha and Omega can sleep in the same room."

Chen Huixing: "What law stipulates that?"

Pei Jiqing suddenly felt his temples pounding. His consideration these past few days was laughable. Supplies were scarce in the war zone, and there were countless things to do every day. He could just do it if he wanted. It was a fact. Chen Huixing's words were clearly written on his face.

"Then I'll move in with my colleagues."

Chen Huixing grabbed Pei Jiqing's camera bag as he was about to pack it. "Do you think it's suitable for me?"

Pei Jiqing looked up at Chen Huixing. "Are we suitable?"

Suddenly, the footsteps of a patrol could be heard outside the window. The sound of boots crunching gravel was especially clear in the silent night.

Chen Huixing gritted his teeth: "What haven't we done before? When I saw you lying defenseless on my bed that day, I wanted to make you cry so hard that you couldn't even cry...but did I do anything?"

Pei Jiqing's ears instantly burned red: "...You have a dirty mind!"

Chen Huixing suddenly approached, and his shadow completely enveloped Pei Jiqing. He chuckled, his breath was incredibly hot: "I'm dirty? Haven't you lost your memory? Then let me remind you, when you were a military dependent with me, the conditions were limited at the beginning, and the sound insulation was very poor. I said no, but you unbuttoned your pajamas and stuck to me, hid in the quilt to do it to me, and then you rode on me. How could I understand these things at that time, and you just kept pestering me." He

really dared to say anything, making him sound like some pure Alpha.

"I don't want to think about it! If you want respect, I'll give it to you. I'm trying my best to suppress it, but you avoid me like a snake or scorpion."

Pei Jiqing hurriedly covered his mouth, but his palm was numbed by the hot breath of Chen Huixing. Chen Huixing refused to listen and turned his head away: "Zhizhi came so late... If you hadn't been secretly feeding me birth control pills, she would have had four or five brothers and sisters long ago."