Lin You's expression suddenly turned ugly.

The original novel was vague, focusing its descriptions on the protagonist's suffering. As for the final ending, including how Lenon died and what caused his death, nothing was mentioned, so Lin You had no way of knowing.

And the moment his expression changed, Lenon noticed it.

The Major General straightened up and knelt on the bed, the blanket slipping down his shoulders. He reached out to touch Lin You's forehead. "Your Highness?"

Lin You startled. "...I'm fine."

They had just finished making love, and their necks still bore scattered kiss marks.

Lin You was restless. Gripping the Major General's wrist, he lowered his eyes and asked, "Why the 21st?"

Lenon: "Hmm?"

Lin You: "Why must your visit to pay respects to your late friend be set on the 21st of the month after next?"

Why did it perfectly coincide with the Major General's date of death in the novel?

He was agitated, his tone inevitably becoming emotional. Lenon looked surprised for a moment, then smiled. "Because Devon's annual leave is used up; he won't have more until the month after next. I'm nominally a cripple right now and can't pilot an aircraft. I want Devon to accompany me."

"..."

The reason was perfectly logical, but Lin You remained suspicious. As a shooting game streamer, his sixth sense had always been accurate, yet he couldn't find a reason to refute it.

Lin You stared intently at Lenon: "What if I don't agree?"

His tone was calm. "If I don't agree, as my servant, you have no right to leave the prince's residence on your own, let alone go to a barren star with Devon to pay respects to a deceased friend."

Lenon paused.

Since he entered the prince's residence, this was the first time Lin You had spoken in such a tone.

The esteemed Third Prince was tense all over, his back stiff. Even though he was the one with the authority to call the shots, he was more nervous than Lenon. He feigned composure, but his eyelashes trembled slightly, clearly revealing his uneasiness.

Lenon's azure eyes watched Lin You, harboring inexplicable emotions. He pulled Lin You's hand, nestled beside him, and rested his chin on Lin You's shoulder blade. "If you really don't agree, then..."

Lin You tensed even further.

He knew Lenon had a plan, knew he had things he must do, and also knew that if Lenon wanted to leave, he couldn't trap him.

In the original text, the Major General was pushed to the verge of collapse because of Pheromones, and even then, the Third Prince couldn't keep him contained.

If he absolutely refused to agree, then Lenon would probably leave without saying goodbye. The two of them would part ways and become strangers, just like in the original novel.

But just as he was silently locked in a stalemate, he heard Lenon sigh and kiss his earlobe. Inside the soft, warm blankets, the decisive and ruthless Major General immediately softened his voice. "...Then I can only beg you."

"Please, Your Highness." He murmured vaguely while kissing Lin You. "I have reasons why I must go."

In a daze, Lin You felt as if he were looking at his friend's golden retriever—whenever it made someone angry, it would get away with it by acting spoiled and whining softly. He wanted to push Lenon away, but his wrists were caught, and the other man entangled him even tighter. He could only say dejectedly, "Alright."

He concealed his insignificant nervousness. "If you need anything, I can help. Please feel free to ask. My father commands the First Legion and the Seventh Legion. If you need anything..."

"Okay." Lenon leaned over to kiss him. "Don't worry, Little Highness."

His voice was barely audible: "I will present you with the final victory."

Lin You didn't hear clearly. "What?"

Lenon didn't answer, only pressing him back into the blankets. "I said, I'm leaving tomorrow, so let me hug you a bit more."

Lin You couldn't say a word and could only hug him back tightly.

The next day, before the Trial Court arrived, Lenon personally injected a substitute syringe into his arm.

The ice-blue medicine was injected into his blood; his muscles instantly tensed up, then quickly relaxed.

Lin You watched from the side, biting his lip slightly, but ultimately didn't stop him.

Lenon explained it to Lin You like this: "I will be staying in prison while awaiting trial. I have to look like I've been taking the Addictive Pheromone. If I don't suffer a little, it will be hard to fool them."

At this time, the side effects of the substitute syringe became its primary function. Lenon began to run a dizzying fever; his whole body was sore and weak, requiring someone to support him just to stand. His Pheromones unconsciously diffused into the surroundings in a disordered state. To outsiders, it looked exactly like a Pheromone addiction.

Lin You touched his arm and only then discovered there were many tiny pinpricks on it. The scars left by Pheromone injections were always harder to heal than normal wounds. The liquid medicine caused a rejection reaction in his body, leaving the needle marks on his skin behind.

Lenon took in his expression and smiled. "Don't make that kind of face, Little Highness. After all, I used to be a Major General; I wouldn't feel miserable over a single needle."

Lin You frowned in disapproval. "What does this have to do with your position? Anyone would feel miserable."

Being able to endure it was one thing, but feeling miserable was another.

He gave Lenon a kiss laden with Pheromones.

When the deacons of the Trial Court arrived at the Third Prince's residence, the two quickly adjusted their states. Lenon looked disheveled, kneeling on the ground with his chin resting on Lin You's lap, looking wronged and humiliated yet forced to be obedient. Lin You, on the other hand, sat properly in the middle of the hall, haughty and aloof.

The deacons bowed to Lin You. Several people signed the trial warrant and completed the corresponding procedures before bowing again. "Then, Third Highness, we will be taking the Major General away."

They pulled Lenon up. Throughout the process, Lenon's expression remained calm and unresponsive, looking like someone at the mercy of others, his heart like dead ashes.

However, just as the deacons attempted to bind him with chains, Lin You suddenly spoke up. His fingers tapped the table as he sneered sinisterly, "You two, although I'm temporarily handing him over to you, I don't want to see any marks on my property that weren't left by me. You must return him to me completely intact, understand?"

He deliberately emphasized the words "my property" and "any marks."

The deacons made repeated assurances, smiling carefully and apologetically.

Ever since the coming-of-age ceremony, the entire imperial capital knew that the Third Prince had an eccentric temper and a terrifying possessiveness. He hated it most when others touched his things. Even the victim of Major General Lenon—the young master of the Liam family, White Liam—had received a kick from the Third Prince. Foot soldiers like them certainly wouldn't dare provoke him.

Lenon looked at him with a smile.

The Major General truly wasn't worried at all. Sandwiched between the two deacons, he actually still had the mood to tease Lin You, repeating with great interest by mouthing the words: "Oh, your property?"

Lin You consequently glared at him.

The two deacons didn't dare to delay too long in the Third Prince's residence and hurriedly took the person to the Trial Court. And almost in the very next second, Lin You avoided the crowd and also left the residence. He piloted a servant's ordinary aircraft—bearing neither the royal crest nor the mark of the prince's residence—and hurried toward Admiral Hoyle's estate.

He had to grease the wheels at the Trial Court's prison. Otherwise, if things really progressed according to the original novel, by the time Lenon came out of the Trial Court, Lin You would go berserk too.

Although he was a noble prince, the original owner had just come of age and had an indulgent, playful personality. He had almost no faction of his own and had to rely entirely on Admiral Hoyle.

Admiral Hoyle seemed to have expected Lin You's arrival. He was leisurely drinking tea in the front hall and said slowly, "You want me to find someone to look after Lenon?"

Lin You hovered around him, pouring water and adding tea, acting incredibly obedient. Hearing this, he nodded: "Yes!"

Hoyle hadn't seen the kid act this obedient in eight hundred years. He felt perplexed and experienced the subtle displeasure of his own prized cabbage being lured away by someone else's. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Do you really value him that much?"

"..."

Lin You obediently massaged the Admiral's shoulders, his voice as quiet as a mosquito: "It has to be him."

The child had already said so, what else could Admiral Hoyle say? For a moment, he felt deeply moved, his thoughts swirling.

The marriage between Admiral Hoyle and the old Emperor was purely for political reasons. Although they gave birth to Lin You, they rarely had the chance to meet, let alone develop any feelings. In the early years when his Pheromones were unstable, the Admiral had suffered quite a bit.

He just didn't expect that the child he gave birth to would be so unique.

Although Lenon wasn't under Hoyle's command, Hoyle had long heard of this rising junior. The other party had climbed step by step to become a Major General; the bitterness and hardships involved went without saying. Seeing this, Hoyle felt a bit of sympathy for a fellow sufferer. Since Lin You had asked, he was happy to help.

Hoyle got up and headed to the Trial Court. He first went to the holding cell to see Lenon, and then met with the head warden of the prison.

Compared to Lin You, the Admiral had weathered many storms and was much more experienced. He almost instantly thought of the wording to protect Lenon without attracting Lin Yu's attention.

"Whether Lenon is guilty or not is another matter. After all, he married into the prince's residence. When he appears in court, he can't look too terrible. Otherwise, it will give people an excuse to gossip, saying the Third Prince abused him. It would reflect poorly on both the Royal Family and myself."

Cold sweat dripped down the head warden's face. He was indeed backed by the First Prince, and the First Prince had mentioned not to let Lenon be too comfortable. However, Admiral Hoyle was no ordinary figure either, and the reason he presented was convincing.

Lin Yu had only mentioned it in passing, while Admiral Hoyle had visited in person. The head warden weighed the matter for a moment and had already made a decision on what to do.

Hoyle tapped the table and said casually, "I just went to see Lenon. He looks terrible, like he doesn't have long to live. There will be quite a few media outlets on the day of the trial. Take good care of him these next few days. At the very least, nurse him back into looking human."

The head warden secretly grumbled in his heart, thinking that his terrible complexion was all because of the Third Prince. However, he didn't dare show the slightest hint of it on his face and respectfully agreed.

Therefore, Lenon waited and waited in his cell, but he never experienced the torment he had imagined.

The deacons kept their eyes straight ahead. Let alone private torture and interrogations, they didn't even glance at him. Daily meals were delivered on time. Lenon poked at the food with a spoon—there were vegetables and meat, and the portion was quite large.

The Trial Court even provided hot water daily for him to wash up, and the deacons cleaned the cell every day. Lenon swept his gaze around; the cell they gave him was of the highest standard. The space wasn't small, the temperature was pleasant, and there were even books and newspapers in the wall niche to relieve boredom.

Aside from the high fever brought on by the Pheromone injection, which made him feel a little uncomfortable, it was more like he was on a resort vacation.

When ten days passed and the trial officially began, Lenon was even a little dazed.

This was nothing like what he had imagined.

In fact, from the very beginning when he got out of the Third Prince's bed, everything had been different from what he had imagined.

He stood safely and steadily on the trial stand. The fever was a bit uncomfortable, but it wasn't unbearable. The effects of the injection would soon pass, leaving behind only minor aftereffects that were insignificant and not worth mentioning.

If not for Lin You, there was absolutely no way he could have made it here so easily.

Thinking of this, Lenon revealed an imperceptible smile.

His gaze crossed the vast jury and landed on Lin You, who was seated high above.

Lin You was sitting between Admiral Hoyle and the First Prince, looking down from his high vantage point with an expressionless face. He disguised himself perfectly, like a truly cold, brutal, ruthless, and arrogant prince. The look he gave Lenon carried not a trace of warmth, as if looking at a piece of merchandise.

But Lenon saw the silver gleam flashing at his fingertips.

It was the ring they exchanged when they got married.

Lin You maintained his cold and arrogant expression, but his fingers anxiously spun the ring. The plain silver band reflected a shimmering light, like sunlight spilling across the undulating surface of a lake.

At this moment, Lenon stood in the dead center of the Trial Court. Wearing heavy shackles and a thin prison uniform, the gazes of countless people gathered on him—some scornful, some contemptuous. They wantonly scrutinized Lenon, discussing this once lofty military genius, the noble young master of the Colette Family. They talked about how unforgivable his actions were and how bleak his future was. Among them were many of Lenon's former enemies and subordinates.

"Look, this is the Major General of the Third Legion. In the end, he ended up like this."

Logically speaking, Lenon should have felt embarrassed and sad, but when his gaze landed on Lin You, all that malice receded like the tide.

The frequency at which Lin You spun the ring was too fast.

His expression was tense—Lenon was familiar with this look. The more nervous Lin You was, the colder his expression became, but his small gestures would betray him, just like right now.

Even though Lenon was the one on trial right now, Lin You was more anxious than Lenon. The arc of light from the spinning ring had never ceased.

Lenon sighed softly.

—His Little Highness looked extremely worried.

The chief judge struck the gavel three times, signaling for everyone to be quiet. Then, he read out the charges and the verdict. Item by item, they were all fabricated charges he had never committed, but Lenon nodded to all of them and calmly accepted them.

—The First Prince had already constructed a complete chain of evidence. Struggling now would be to no avail.

When the final item was read and all the punishments were laid out before him, the chief judge coughed and began to read the pardon.

"Lenon Colette, former Major General of the Third Legion. According to the pardon, from now on, you will voluntarily give up your status as a natural person. You will be stripped of your position and identity, enjoy no political rights, and transfer the Colette Family's wealth to the Third Prince, Lin You, in exchange for leniency in your sentence. Do you agree to the above terms?"

Lenon's azure eyes looked toward the jury. "I agree."

To the outside world, Lenon had taken the Addictive Pheromone and was in extremely poor physical condition. In reality, he was still running a high fever. This "I agree" was uttered very softly, his tone hoarse, sounding inexplicably gentle.

System 55 lay on Lin You's shoulder, rubbing its non-existent arms.

"Host, do you know?" it complained quietly.

"My previous host also married his mission target. At the time, they held their wedding under the coconut trees on the beach. The officiant held my host's hand with his left hand and my host's partner's hand with his right hand, and then asked, 'Sir, for sickness or health, for richer or poorer, are you willing to hold the hand of the person beside you and spend the rest of your long life together?' At that time, the tone of my host's mission target was exactly the same as your Major General Lenon's right now."

"..."

The chief judge nodded and turned back to Lin You. "Respected Third Highness, are you willing to accept this sinner, take him into your residence, and give him a chance to turn over a new leaf?"

Lin You nodded reservedly. "I am willing."

They signed the pardon in black and white, and with the stamping of the royal seal, the trial was considered over.

Lin You breathed a sigh of relief.

He could finally bring Lenon back openly and legitimately.

The two of them boarded the aircraft one after another. Lenon was still completely weak. He gripped the railing desperately; the short flight of stairs felt like an impassable chasm, and he practically dragged himself up. Meanwhile, Lin You walked alone in front, showing no intention of helping.

Lin Yu took it all in and nodded in satisfaction.

But the moment the aircraft's cabin door closed, they couldn't wait to kiss each other.

Lin You was eager to transfer his Pheromones to suppress the side effects of the injection and make the Major General feel better. However, Lenon wasn't in a hurry at all. He kissed slowly and leisurely, tracing the curve of the other man's lips with his teeth and tongue, and finally pulled Lin You down as he fell backward onto the large bed in the aircraft.

Lenon: "Want to do it?"

Lin You was stunned. "You're still running a fever."

The temperature of the skin beneath his hand was still scalding hot. No matter how formidable the Major General was, he wasn't made of iron. The high temperature not only clouded his thoughts but also made his joints and muscles ache faintly. Lenon's miserable display just now hadn't been entirely faked.

A trace of amusement flashed through Lenon's eyes. "I heard it feels even better."

Lin You: "?"

His brain crashed for a full few seconds before he finally understood the meaning of those words from the other's half-smiling gaze.

Lenon wasn't even joking; he was serious.

The side effects of the Pheromone injection still hadn't passed. Being too vigorous now would only make the situation worse, yet Lenon truly didn't care about his body in the slightest. He stared fixedly at Lin You, unconcerned about the potential consequences, as if this flesh and blood vessel were insignificant, merely a burden that could be discarded at any time, while he, trapped within it, sought only a moment of pleasure.

Lin You ground his teeth in frustration.

He bit down hard on Lenon's shoulder. The Major General clearly hadn't expected this move and immediately let out a muffled groan of pain. "Hiss—"

"Now you know it hurts?"

Lin You yanked the blanket over, wrapping him from head to toe, leaving only a pair of azure eyes peering out in confusion.

Lin You: "Until you are completely recovered, don't even think about it!"

"Now, sleep."