A massive alien spacecraft sailed through the sky, surrounded by a dense swarm of humanoid machines. It could easily be described as an impenetrable fortress of machines, each armed with weapons capable of demolishing a skyscraper.
Shi Qing stood in front of transparent glass, gazing down at the forest below.
Yin Mingzheng walked up to him from behind, skillfully enveloping the young man in his arms. His deep, melodious voice sounded pleasing as he softly asked, "What are you looking at?"
"The forest," Shi Qing pointed to the forest below, which appeared as a microscopic landscape when viewed from above. "On my home planet, we have only one mother tree, no forests."
Yin Mingzheng also looked down, his exceptional supernatural vision allowing him to see various insect-like creatures moving among the lush trees below.
His heart sank. This forest had clearly belonged to humans before, but now it had fallen into the hands of the insect race?
Shi Qing lifted his gaze, took a glance at him with a dazed expression, and his smile became even sweeter. He snuggled into the man's embrace like a coquettish little leopard and stretched out his slender, fair fingers, counting earnestly, "Seventeen years, eleven months, and seventeen days, and we can have a baby."
The system's somber voice chimed in, "Twenty more days, and we will be thrown out of this world by the world consciousness."
"Host, we've been here for ten days, and Yin Mingzheng's rejection level is still at eighty. How can we play like this?" the system asked.
Shi Qing replied, "Just need to make a little effort."
"What effort?"
While the system was contemplating what effort to make, its host, like a boneless creature, clung to Yin Mingzheng and, in a sweet and childish tone, made a request, "I want to go to the bathroom for a little water. Mingzheng, come with me."
Yin Mingzheng didn't find Shi Qing's request childish at all. He had become completely accustomed to Shi Qing's affectionate and clingy behavior over the past few days. Following the young man's lead, he picked him up and carried him all the way to the bathroom.
During these moments of wanting kisses and hugs, Shi Qing, the mischievous little spirit, didn't weigh as much as he did when he was taking a more dominant role.
Originally, there was no bathroom on the spaceship because the mechanical race didn't need to eat or drink, and therefore, they had no need for a bathroom. Yin Mingzheng had created the bathroom after his arrival, and during the few days he had agreed to stay on the spaceship, Shi Qing had developed a complete human excretion system for himself so he could be more like a human. However, he still couldn't eat human food and mostly drank oil, so he only needed to urinate.
It was just one of the alien youth's ways to get closer to and please Yin Mingzheng; he didn't need to be exactly like a human.
After accompanying Shi Qing to the bathroom, Yin Mingzheng watched him happily washing and drying his hands at the sink. Then, like a child who had completed a task assigned by a teacher, Shi Qing approached him with his delicate, slender palms extended and earnestly counted, "Seventeen years, eleven months, and seventeen days, and we can have a baby."
Yin Mingzheng had observed Shi Qing with a constant smile on his face almost every moment during these days. It was as if he were an tireless little bird, constantly fluttering around him, learning everything about him in order to get closer and become more like him.
Shi Qing began to sleep like a human, and every morning when Yin Mingzheng woke up, he could see the young man pretending to sleep with his eyes closed and his long, curled eyelashes resting on his cheeks, cuddled obediently in his arms.
Every night when it was time for humans to rest, the alien youth always beat him to the soft, large bed, patting it with his long legs like a seal, waiting for Yin Mingzheng to "go to sleep" with him—even though he would never actually fall asleep.
This was something Yin Mingzheng only realized later on. Shi Qing had been diligently learning everything about him, but it was mostly on the surface.
One night, as Yin Mingzheng opened his eyes and saw Shi Qing looking at him with his eyes wide open, he almost skipped a beat in his heart.
"Why aren't you sleeping?"
"I don't have a human sleep system," Shi Qing blinked his eyes, energetically leaning over to examine the components of Yin Mingzheng's nose.
"You're awake, so let's go through the program."
Because of a certain energetic little sprite pestering him to follow a program, Yin Mingzheng, who had always had a precise biological clock, actually slept until noon the next day.
Yin Mingzheng didn't voice any objections outwardly, but after that day, he never woke up later than six in the morning.
Shi Qing noticed this and joked with the system, "Seems like he's afraid of staying in my Eden for too long and getting assimilated. Men."
He was deliberately stirring up trouble, knowing exactly what Yin Mingzheng was thinking. Every night, he would pester Yin Mingzheng, and when Yin Mingzheng refused with a gentle tone, he would shamelessly act cute, like a newborn kitten or puppy seeking its mother's attention, and nestle into the man's arms, raising his slender and fair fingers to earnestly count, "Seventeen years, eleven months, and seventeen days, and we can have a baby."
Yin Mingzheng couldn't resist him and had to indulge him.
After a few days of this, the once valiant human hero now had two large dark circles under his eyes.
The system, watching its delighted host, felt a sense of despair.
It finally realized something.
Its host, the big boss, had probably forgotten about the mission while he was busy flirting with beautiful men.
To make matters worse, every time the system tried to offer some honest advice, Shi Qing would start pestering Yin Mingzheng, and the system would have to activate its mosaic brainwave.
There was no way around it. There was nothing to do for entertainment on the spaceship, although there was plenty to eat and drink. As the saying goes, "When one's belly is full, one thinks of something else." With such a sweet darling right in front of him, Shi Qing had no intention of holding back.
After several rounds of this, the system had practically given up.
On this day, while Yin Mingzheng was sleeping, Shi Qing lay on his chest, drawing circles on the area where his heart would be. If someone were to see this scene, they would find it beautiful.
However, in reality, while Shi Qing appeared innocent and pure on the surface, he was chatting with the system: "Look at my sweetheart's chest muscles, so elastic. This is the typical 'slim in clothes, muscular when undressed' type. When you touch them like this, it's so delightful."
The system replied, "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao."
Shi Qing asked, "What are you mumbling about?"
The system, in a Zen-like manner, smiled and said, "I downloaded the Tao Te Ching from headquarters. I occasionally recite it to stay calm."
Shi Qing chuckled, "You, as a system, have quite the taste. Oh, sweetheart, you're awake."
As Yin Mingzheng opened his eyes, the alien youth immediately approached, sticking to him affectionately.
"Do you want to see Mingzheng's private parts?" the system asked while looking at the mosaic on the screen.
Yin Mingzheng finally managed to pull the young man away from him using the excuse of having breakfast.
Shi Qing couldn't eat human food, but he wanted to do the same thing as his partner, so he ordered a glass of clear oil from the humanoid mechanical beings and drank it through a straw, sipping it gently.
His taste system was that of a mechanical race, so the sensation of drinking various oils was different. Today's glass tasted like Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup.
Yin Mingzheng, with a loving expression, watched the young man drink the oil. After he had his fill, he even gently wiped the corners of Shi Qing's mouth with a tissue, acting like a caring partner.
Seeing that, Shi Qing's eyes softened even more, and he displayed the domineering expression of a predator, lying on his partner's lap, looking at him while he ate.
Yin Mingzheng freed his left hand, as if soothing a kitten, and gently ran his hand through the young man's soft hair.
"Shi Qing."
After finishing his meal and having the humanoid mechanical beings take away the tray, Yin Mingzheng, while wiping his mouth with a tissue using his right hand, asked in a soft voice, "Can't you truly sleep like a human?"
Shi Qing shook his head, "That would require a sleep system."
Yin Mingzheng helped the young man up and smiled, "Let's create one. If I fall asleep every night, you'll be left alone, and I can't bear that."
The alien youth hesitated, not one to conceal his thoughts.
Yin Mingzheng gazed at him affectionately, "What's wrong?"
"I'm afraid you'll run away," Shi Qing finally admitted after some hesitation. "If you sneak away while I'm asleep, what should I do?"
"How could I?" Yin Mingzheng's eyes darkened slightly, but his smile remained, "I don't have the permission to leave this spaceship. Even if you fall asleep, I won't be able to run away."
Seeing Shi Qing's persistence, Yin Mingzheng's smile grew even warmer as he embraced the young man and patted his back reassuringly. "Alright, alright, you don't have to sleep. After all, you're from a mechanical race, so not sleeping isn't a problem."
The young man obediently nestled in his embrace, listening to the rhythm of the man's heartbeat. He muttered softly, "If we add a sleep system, it would have to connect my heart with brainwaves like a human. If my heart gets injured, I'll be hurt too. That's a weakness, and mechanical beings can't have weaknesses."
"It's okay. I just mentioned it casually. If you can't sleep, I can stay awake with you. Skipping a few hours of sleep won't hurt."
"Really?!" The young man's eyes brightened, and he happily gave the man a bear hug. "Mingzheng, you're so great! I love you the most!"
Yin Mingzheng returned the hug, patting Shi Qing's back gently. His eyes held a deep, mysterious look as he contemplated something.
Starting from that day, the man indeed stopped sleeping.
On the first day, when Yin Mingzheng woke up after only three hours of sleep, Shi Qing was still excited and clung to him all night. However, by the second day, Yin Mingzheng's energy began to wane, and by the third day, he appeared dazed and often couldn't respond to Shi Qing.
Shi Qing suggested that he should sleep, but Yin Mingzheng insisted on staying awake, saying he wanted to keep Shi Qing company while he was bored during his sleep.
The young man's smile gradually faded, and even his eyes, which were once filled with pure joy, seemed to be shrouded in a thin mist of sadness.
Finally, on the fourth day, Yin Mingzheng woke up and didn't see the alien youth. He got up and asked one of the humanoid mechanical beings nearby, "Where is Shi Qing?"
"He's in the observation cabin."
Yin Mingzheng headed to the observation cabin, and along the way, the humanoid mechanical beings that could easily create wounds on his body respectfully stepped aside. He was the partner of the king, and aside from the king, he held the highest authority.
Finally, he reached the observation cabin, and what he saw inside left him stunned. In a sea of silver, on the throne, the young man's chest cavity was open, and some mechanical arms were operating in front of him. Soon, a mechanical heart was placed inside.
Thump, thump, thump.
The next moment, the mechanical heart began to beat within Shi Qing's body.
His skin started to naturally heal, and soon, the young man opened his eyes, revealing a big smile to Yin Mingzheng. His eyes were filled with joy.
"Mingzheng, I have a heart now, just like you! From now on, we can sleep together."
Yin Mingzheng stared at this scene in shock, and after a moment, he managed to force a smile on his face.
"Yes, we're the same now."
But deep down, he knew they were not the same. He was human, and Shi Qing was from a mechanical race. That was a fact that could never be changed.
※※※
On this night, Yin Mingzheng opened his eyes under the soft yellow light. He slowly sat up and looked at Shi Qing, who was lying peacefully beside him.
Shi Qing was sleeping soundly, his rosy lips slightly puckered, his eyelashes drooping, resembling a tranquil little prince. One of his hands rested on Yin Mingzheng's body.
Yin Mingzheng gazed at Shi Qing's sleeping face with mixed emotions. Slowly, he extended his hand, and his supernatural ability began to swirl in his palm, aiming for the young man's heart.
All he needed to do was strike, and the newly functioning mechanical heart would stop beating. Shi Qing, the extraterrestrial being who had been preventing him from returning to the human base, would also die. With his death, all the humanoid mechanical beings he had created would become paralyzed, and Yin Mingzheng could finally escape.
His hand trembled as he moved it closer to the defenseless sleeping figure beside him. The young man remained peacefully asleep, completely unaware of the impending danger.
So quiet, obedient, and innocent. He had never mistreated Yin Mingzheng in any way and had even shared everything with him, considering him his partner.
Yin Mingzheng suddenly clenched his fist, turned his head away, and withdrew his hand.
In the soft yellow light, he slowly got up, tucked the blanket around the young man, and left the paradise that had trapped him for more than ten days in complete silence.
He didn't know that after he left, Shi Qing, who was peacefully asleep, slowly opened his eyes. With a wave of his hand, a holographic screen displaying the spaceship's map appeared in the room.
Above, a red dot moved along the corridor, making its way to the supply storage. After grabbing a flight device, it quickly turned and headed towards one of the five main exits of the spaceship.
The giant mechanical guardian at the exit scanned him, and at the same time, Shi Qing received the image from the giant mechanical guardian.
On the screen, Yin Mingzheng was carrying a flight device on his back, his sharp eyes attentively fixed on the viewpoint of the giant mechanical guardian.
"Requesting permission to pass," Shi Qing said, raising an eyebrow slightly as he took the cup of Kung Pao Chicken flavored oil that the humanoid mechanical being had respectfully presented to him.
"Permission granted."
The exit door slowly opened, revealing a silver expanse behind. Yin Mingzheng glanced back at the silvery scene, guilt briefly flickering in his eyes. Then, without hesitation, he jumped down.
[Notification! Yin Mingzheng's Rejection Level: 60/100]
Author's Note: Originally, I wanted to write about Yin Ming stabbing Shi Qing's heart, and then, while Shi Qing was injured, he would escape in the confusion. But then I thought, "Wait, this is supposed to be a sweet story!" So, I quickly changed my mind. I'm really a responsible and principled author, aren't I?
I'm randomly sending some little red envelopes to spread some love. Here's a kiss for you! Muah!
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