Lin You gave a positive reply, yet he still hesitated. "Of course we will get married, but..."

But there were still many things he was powerless to change.

Lenon, however, extended his index finger and gently tapped it against his lips, smiling as he said, "It's fine. It's enough."

It was already enough.

Lenon had anticipated his ending very early on, long before the fabricated charges were pinned on him, long before he clashed with the Eldest Prince, and even as early as the day he uncovered the secrets of Zone 35.

This was the ending he had predetermined for himself, and he would ultimately head toward it.

From the moment Lenon engineered a chance encounter with the drunken Third Prince and climbed into Lin You's bed, everything that followed had been within his expectations. He knew he would drink the cherry blossom pink Addictive Pheromone, and he knew he might be locked in the Third Prince's basement. But what he hadn't known was that the Addictive Pheromone would be swapped for sweet wine, that the chains in the basement would be covered in soft fur... and that he would so desperately want to kiss the person right in front of him.

Compared to his previous expectations, these past few days were already a beautiful dream.

Lin You had finished applying the medicine; the Major General's neck was smeared with a ring of ointment. He then took the gauze from the tray. Due to his poor mood, his wrapping motions were inevitably a bit rough. "We will get married before the day of the trial to help you get a pardon, but you still have to attend the trial. There's a ten-day hearing before the trial, and you must go to the trial court's prison. That place is under the Eldest Prince's sphere of influence, and I don't know what might happen."

Lenon said, "It's fine."

His deep blue eyes gazed at Lin You. The feigned deep affection was gone from his pupils, leaving them looking cold and serene.

Lenon asked, "May I ask you about a sensitive topic?"

Lin You's fingers paused. "Speak."

"Does the Third Prince want to become a titled Royal Prince?"

This question was very strange. Lin You was a prince. After the old Zerg Emperor passed away, he would either be a titled Royal Prince, the Zerg Emperor, or he would fail in the power struggle and, like the original owner of this body, turn to dust.

Lin You had another choice—he could go home.

Seeing Lin You fall silent, Lenon paused, then smiled again and asked straightforwardly, "Or let me put it another way. Third Prince, do you want to be the Zerg Emperor?"

His expression was very calm, and his tone was light, as if as long as Lin You nodded, he could deliver the Zerg Emperor's throne right in front of him.

The current Zerg Emperor had three princes. In terms of seniority, the Eldest Prince was first in line and had the most power. If there were no accidents, he would undoubtedly ascend the throne as Emperor.

Lin You's brow twitched.

He had only been with the Zerg for a few months at most. Before this, he had always behaved properly and acted according to the plot's development, never considering snatching the throne. But now, he suddenly thought of an important problem.

—If the Eldest Prince ascended the throne, would he let Lenon go?

Right now, Lin Yu and Lin You still had roughly the same status, yet the other party had already chased them to the prince's estate, pressing him at every step, itching to put Lenon to death immediately. What would happen after he inherited the throne?

If Lin You completed his mission, chose to leave this world, and returned to his hometown, what would happen then?

Thinking of all the future possibilities, the hand Lin You used to hold the medicine jar couldn't help but tremble for a moment.

System 55 had originally been resting on the balcony. Upon hearing this, it straightened its body, floated over, and flew two circles around Lin You. "Host?"

By now, it had become very laid-back. The previous host had chosen to stay in the small world, so having one more do the same was no big deal.

"Although in name I am not allowed to interfere with your choices, Host, I must remind you." System 55 used a rarely serious tone: "If you want to go head-to-head with the Eldest Prince, the probability of successfully seizing the throne is very, very low."

It was the integrated technology of a higher-dimensional world, equipped with the most advanced probability system. After analyzing and stringing together all the data of successful usurpations in its database, and comparing it with the information of this life, Lin You did not hold the advantage.

Lin You calmly asked, "How so?"

System 55 landed on Lin You's shoulder. A huge light screen appeared out of thin air in front of them, with a massive amount of data flowing across it. "Host, the age difference between you and the Eldest Prince is too great. The year the Eldest Prince held his coming-of-age ceremony, the Third Prince had just been born. He started building his forces nearly twenty years earlier than you."

Speaking of facts, System 55 switched its voice to an AI-synthesized electronic tone. Its pitch was flat and devoid of fluctuation, sounding somewhat cold and stern for no reason.

"According to my information, his maternal family, the Lawrence Family, is also a veteran aristocratic family of the Empire. Within the family is an admiral who became famous even earlier than Admiral Hoyle, and who now commands the Third, Fourth, and Sixth Legions."

"As for the Eldest Prince's Female Consort, he is the second son of the director of the Pheromone Research Institute. This director has held his position for nearly seventy years, and he simultaneously owns the Empire's largest synthetic pheromone production company, practically monopolizing the Empire's pheromone manufacturing industry. The two share in each other's glory, like grasshoppers tied to the same string."

"At the same time, the wealth the Eldest Prince possesses is incredibly terrifying, even rivaling the national treasury. Of the prominent companies on the Capital Star, I roughly estimate that at least one-third have direct or indirect connections with him."

System 55 sighed. "The old Zerg Emperor is nearing the end of his days and has decentralized his power. The Eldest Prince has monopolized authority for some time now, otherwise Major General Lenon wouldn't have ended up in this state."

"Pardon my bluntness, but from a data analysis perspective, the probability of you winning in a direct confrontation with the Eldest Prince is extremely slim."

Lin You: "How much exactly?"

"Less than 2%."

They fell silent together.

It really was a tiny probability, equivalent to pulling a gold-tier in a gacha game. The difference was that failing to pull the card only meant losing one roll; if he gambled on this probability and lost, he would be betting his life.

In this quietness, Lin You subconsciously furrowed his brows, forming a small crease between them.

He calmly said, "I will contact Admiral Hoyle to discuss the pros and cons and make corresponding plans. If it's feasible..."

System 55: "If it's feasible?"

"I will try."

Lenon couldn't hear Lin You talking to the system; he could only see Lin You furrowing his brows.

Lenon let out a soft sigh.

He extended his index finger, placing the pad against the center of Lin You's forehead, and gently rubbed away the crease. "Don't frown. This isn't something you need to frown over."

The Major General's tone was breezy, as if he already had a plan. He casually brushed past the previous topic and switched to another: "Your Highness said that we would get married, but there wouldn't be a wedding?"

Lin You lowered his eyes, his tone a bit muffled. "Right..."

Lenon smiled. "Then can I ask for something else as compensation?"

"Of course." Lin You breathed a sigh of relief. "Just ask."

"Just ask?" Lenon pretended to think it over. "Hmm, during this time before we get married, can we sleep together?"

Lin You: "...?"

That night, when the silver-haired Major General sat on the edge of the master bed, changed into silk pajamas, and unhurriedly lay down under the covers, Lin You still hadn't figured out what had just happened.

His thoughts were a chaotic mess. He didn't understand why the previous sentence was about fighting for succession to become the Zerg Emperor, and the very next sentence turned into sleeping together. But when Lenon's deep blue eyes looked at him fixedly, asking with confusion why Lin You wasn't coming to bed, Lin You surrendered.

He raised his hand to turn off the light and slipped into the quilt. Pressed against Lenon through the thin pajamas, he reached out to wrap his arm around the Major General's beautiful waistline and couldn't help but rub against him.

It was really warm.

From that day on, they started sleeping together every night, like true lovers. During his free time, Lenon would always move a lounge chair into the garden to bask in the sun, occasionally holding a book or two. Lin You thought he would be reading about military tactics and drills, but when he curiously went to look, Lenon was actually reading about garden floristry, landscape travel photography, and philosophy.

The other party seemed to treat the tranquility before the trial day as a rare vacation. He fully enjoyed the leisure time, holding Lin You as he fell asleep at night, like a seal about to hibernate.

When the trial day was approaching, Lenon had Devon send over a military training cabin. He registered a new identity, created a virtual profile of a military academy cadet, and spent two hours online every night.

Lin You secretly went to watch him and found that Lenon didn't play matches, nor did he pilot aircraft; he only shot at static targets.

Static targets were the simplest mode, something only newly enlisted recruits would practice.

System 55 quietly hacked into the system, spectated for a moment, and shared its vision with Lin You: Lenon's marksmanship was terrifyingly accurate, hitting the bullseye with almost every shot. Even the heavy sniper rifles meant for ultra-long-distance aiming in space felt as light as a toy in his hands.

System 55 asked in confusion, "Why is the Major General shooting this in his free time? He absolutely doesn't need to do this."

Why use a butcher's knife to kill a chicken? It was like making a math Ph.D. solve elementary school problems. Even if they got full marks, what sense of accomplishment could there be?

Lin You watched from the side, unconsciously furrowing his brows.

He had a faint, very bad premonition.

Lenon didn't look like a Ph.D. solving elementary school problems; he looked more like a top student taking a mock exam before the real test. Although he was thoroughly familiar with all the question types, he still needed to do practice papers regularly to maintain his feel for it. And shooting static targets was Lenon's way of maintaining his touch.

Lin You took all this in. He subtly brought it up a couple of times, but Lenon lightly changed the subject, so he didn't press further.

His Major General had a sound personality; he was calm and steady enough. He understood the road ahead and knew the way back. Whatever he wanted to do, Lin You would not object.

Ten days before the trial, they signed the agreement and completed their marriage contract.

The cold electronic draft was drawn up by the marriage system and sent directly to Lenon's inbox. The Major General clicked to agree, pressed his electronic fingerprint, and, in his capacity as a sinner, swore an oath that from this day forward, he would voluntarily strip himself of all natural rights and become a vassal of the Third Prince.

At the same time, the ownership of the Colette Family's enormous wealth was transferred, thoroughly belonging to the Third Prince, Lin You.

The day the news of the marriage was announced, it set off a stormy sea of waves on the Star Network. For a time, all the forums were discussing the matter. Some focused on the shift in power within the Third Legion, while others paid attention to whether the upper echelons of the Colette Family would change...

But even more of the discussion centered on Lenon. They didn't understand why the distinguished and unyielding Major General had chosen to cling to life at death's door rather than die a heroic death. While sighing and gossiping, they were also curious about Lenon's post-marital life.

Being stripped of everything and trapped in the estate, perhaps even facing torment and abuse—could a Major General of the Third Legion endure such a life?

And at this very moment, Lenon and Lin You were exchanging a long, lingering kiss.

Lenon was bearing criminal charges, so they couldn't go out; all their activities took place at home.

That afternoon, the Major General was in a rare good mood and insisted on showing off his cooking skills to Lin You. Lin You still remembered Admiral Hoyle saying that Lenon didn't know how to cook at all. He watched with fear and trepidation in the kitchen, and the butler behind them was even more fearful. Fortunately, the Major General seemed to have practiced on purpose; he fried a small steak, and it turned out decently.

Lin You then rolled up his sleeves, declaring that he could cook too. He forcefully took the spatula and whipped up a streamer's essential "vital signs maintenance meal"—Tomato and Egg.

This time, the usually breezy Major General couldn't maintain his calm. Lenon's entire body tensed up, ready to snatch the spatula at any moment, while the butler stood at the door, looking as if he was about to pass out.

Fortunately, although Lin You often ate instant noodles, he was quite good at making Tomato and Egg. Having transmigrated for so long, he hadn't lost his touch. So that night, they had two edible dishes.

This was probably the simplest meal Lin You had eaten since transmigrating as a prince, and despite his noble status as a Major General, Lenon's meals had never been this perfunctory unless he was out on a campaign. Yet, after the meal, they were unexpectedly happy.

Before going to sleep, in the dim yellow halo of the night lamp, Lin You pushed over a small box.

He handed it to Lenon, mumbling, "Open it and take a look."

They were two rings.

Custom-designed patterns. Lin You took the one engraved with the Iris pattern and gestured for Lenon to take the other.

They didn't have a wedding, but they could still exchange rings.

Rings were not common among the Zerg; they were considered a custom from ancient times. Legend had it that in that era, lovers would exchange rings under the witness of an officiant and make promises for a lifetime.

Lenon's eyes lit up slightly. He really didn't care about a wedding, but he still felt a bit regretful. Lin You preparing rings could be considered making up for that regret.

Unfortunately, Lenon picked it up and stared at it for a long time, unable to understand what was engraved on his ring. The ring was starkly carved with four letters: a "W" at the top, and "ASD" lined up in a row below it.

Lenon raised an eyebrow. "I thought you would engrave a small tangerine?"

The crisp, sweet kind.

Lin You: "...Go away, you're the one who needs a small tangerine engraved."

He explained to Lenon, "They are the four keys of a keyboard. Before the invention of the Light Brain and consciousness connections, keyboards were the main input tools."

Lenon had heard of that ancient era but had never seen a keyboard; such things had completely disappeared in the interstellar age. He placed the ring under the light to examine it, the plain silver surface reflecting a silvery-white halo. "A keyboard. Then what do these four letters represent?"

"They are... the most commonly used keys in games of that era."

WSAD, the directional keys in Interstellar War. In countless live streams, Lin You used these four keys to control his beautiful silver-haired character model, exploring and soaring through the stars, firing shot after shot to reach the high-score rankings on the national server.

He was not the original Third Prince; these directional keys represented where he came from.

Lenon didn't understand why Lin You would engrave the directional keys of an ancient era's game on the ring, but that didn't stop him from accepting it with a smile. "Thank you, it's very beautiful."

He slid the ring onto his ring finger, watching as Lin You simultaneously put on the other one. The beautiful Iris pattern wrapped around his fingertip like a flaunting vow.

—This Male Zerg was his, and no one else could covet him.

Lenon then leaned down, and amidst the overwhelming scent of citrus, he kissed the owner of the Iris ring.

...

Tonight, Lenon was truly a bit crazy.

He seemed to be untiring, begging, demanding, kissing, and embracing, as if enjoying a final pleasure. Halfway through the night, he and Lin You were covered in sweat, their cold white skin reflecting a glaze-like luster. Lenon let out a muffled groan and collapsed exhaustedly beside Lin You.

Lin You didn't even have the strength to speak.

He tangled his fingers into the Major General's silver hair, gently stroking it. Lenon comfortably closed his eyes and nuzzled closer to him. "Little Highness..."

He spoke with less and less restraint. From the initial "Third Prince" and "My Highness", to now calling him whatever came to mind—only a few months had passed in total.

Lin You gave a soft "Mm" as a reply.

Lenon looked at him. "Little Highness, I have to leave tomorrow."

He was going to the trial court to await trial.

Lin You: "Mm, don't worry. I will bring you back."

It was only ten days. After ten days, Lenon would still return to his estate, back to this bed.

Lenon said softly, "After the trial is over, I still have one wish."

"I want a ten-day vacation to visit Zone 35's Graveyard, to pay respects to the departed old friends of the Third Legion."

Lin You knew about this. It was the Zerg's most tragic war in recent years. During the encirclement and suppression of the cosmic black market, the border garrison had lost more than half of its troops, and many of these fallen soldiers belonged to the Third Legion. The first time Lin You went to visit Lenon, he had seen the tragic situation of that day in the exhibition room.

He said lazily, "Go if you want to. I'm not locking you up. You can go whenever you want."

Lenon: "The 21st of the month after next, is that okay?"

"..."

Lin You was suddenly startled.

He suddenly remembered that in the original novel, when Lenon could no longer endure the torture of the pheromones, resolutely injected the syringe, and traveled far to the border battlefield, the day he finally died was also the 21st of the month after next.