The Gloomy Paper-Man Came to My Door to Pursue His Love - Chapter 23

The name Xi Li was given to him by his mother, and it involved secrets of the Imperial family. His mother remained unknown to the world, just as the name Xi Li was not recognized by the public. Even the Queen and the First Prince had no way of knowing his true name.

Was it a guess? Had Qin Fei guessed his name?

Furthermore, regarding the intent behind that message, what had Qin Fei wanted to talk to him about back then? Xi Li’s heart tightened; he was desperate to figure out the whole story.

However, a notification of Qin Fei’s actions flashed in his mind. Qin Fei was disconnecting from the game.

“Qin,” Xi Li instinctively reached out to grab him, yet he only caught a handful of empty air.

The airflow surged, and Qin Fei vanished in an instant. All that remained was that lonely invitation letter, fluttering sideways in the air like a withered yellow autumn leaf before drifting lightly to the floor.

It was quiet. Everything around him fell silent.

Xi Li looked down at the invitation and saw the content he had exhausted his mental energy to write.

“I invite Qin Fei to be a guest. No need to prepare a gift, just come in person.”

The character for “Li” in the letter had been gripped so hard that it left a deep crease, nearly tearing through the paper. Xi Li stared at it intently.

In his mind, the First District, having confirmed his identity, sent a report on the current state of the Empire according to his orders. The political content flashed through his mind like a long article. Xi Li raised his head.

He caught a specific sentence attached to the end of the report.

“Mr. Qin Fei is traveling to the Planet Obsidian aboard Starship DXC734.”

Xi Li bent down to pick up the invitation from the floor. When he looked up, he saw the gift Qin Fei had brought also lying by the door. He picked them both up.

The invitation and the gift were placed on the coffee table. Xi Li sank into the lopsided sofa, his gaze lingering on these two items for a long time.

After watching them for a while, Xi Li exhaled a breath of turbid air. He issued another command to the First District.

“Check if the pheromone compatibility between Qin Fei and me is 100%.”

The starship traveled steadily through the vast universe, followed by several mechas from the First District. The mechas sent a command for the starship ahead to stop. Once the ship, small as a speck of dust, came to a halt, the mechas entered the landing bay at the rear of the starship.

“Routine inspection. Please do not panic, dear passengers, and cooperate with our actions.”

A calm and firm voice came through the starship’s broadcast system. Upon hearing this, the passengers felt inevitably anxious, but they still followed the instructions and cooperated with the inspection in an orderly manner.

Qin Fei sat in his cabin, his brow furrowed and his face pale.

The terminal continued to comfort him, “Even though you happened to encounter a landing inspection by the First District, and the First District happened to be established by the Little Prince himself, it still does not prove that the 2D character is the Little Prince. That is too absurd.”

Qin Fei looked up. Occasionally, some noise came from outside the first-class cabin, but most of the time, there was only a heavy silence. Members of the First District were inspecting everyone, going cabin by cabin.

The terminal said, “Any planet where the First, Second, or Third Districts have stationed troops might have its incoming starships inspected. Stopping for an inspection today is not an isolated case; you do not need to care too much. You also do not need to worry that they will make things difficult for you. In your marriage with the Little Prince, you did very well. It was the Little Prince who failed you.”

Qin Fei remained silent until he heard movement outside the cabin door. His expression returned to normal the moment the knock sounded. He rose to open the door and recognized the leader standing outside.

It was Song Yun.

He and Song Yun had met a few times, and he knew that Song Yun was the person Xi Li trusted most. After Xi Li passed away, Song Yun was the one managing the three military districts. Qin Fei did not expect that for a small routine inspection, Song Yun would come in person.

“Admiral Song Yun,” Qin Fei said politely without showing surprise.

“Pardon the intrusion, Mr. Qin Fei. This is a routine inspection,” Song Yun said.

Qin Fei could not read anything from Song Yun’s face. He figured that after he had submitted his entry documents, the people of the First District already knew he was on the ship.

“Alright.” Qin Fei stepped aside so the soldiers could enter the first-class cabin.

However, Song Yun merely raised his right hand. The people behind him understood the gesture and did not follow. Only Song Yun entered the cabin. As the door closed, the remaining soldiers stood in two rows, guarding the door in silence.

“Mr. Qin Fei, I need to check your identification,” Song Yun said.

“One moment.”

The starship had previously notified passengers to prepare their documents, and Qin Fei had them ready. He turned to get them. After Song Yun checked them, he returned the documents to Qin Fei. “Thank you for your cooperation.”

Qin Fei replied, “It is what I should do.”

“I wish you a smooth journey.”

“Thank you.”

Watching Song Yun leave, the moment the door closed, Qin Fei suddenly reached out to brace himself against the sofa armrest to keep from collapsing. He felt dizzy.

Two minutes after Song Yun had entered the cabin, Qin Fei began to feel waves of vertigo. He had relied entirely on sheer willpower to avoid showing any abnormality in front of others.

Outside the closed door, Song Yun tilted his head slightly. Whether it was because the first-class cabin was tightly sealed or because there truly was no abnormality inside, he did not hear any movement. He said nothing and left directly.

The two rows of guards at the door did not retreat with him; they remained stationed outside. At the end of the line, several Beta doctors carrying aluminum medicine boxes were already in position.

The starship resumed its journey, but the passengers were ordered to stay in their respective cabins. No one knew the situation inside this first-class cabin.

Song Yun returned to the rear cabin of the starship to report the situation to the Little Prince.

“Prince, I have boarded Starship DXC734 and met with Mr. Qin Fei. I have placed your ring in Mr. Qin Fei’s room.”

A reply arrived quickly.

“Who the hell told you to check compatibility this way!”

The familiar scolding tone actually made Song Yun relax. It was absurd that the Little Prince had become a string of data, but as their communication increased, Song Yun was certain that it was indeed the Little Prince.

Song Yun explained, “If we went to the Marriage Bureau to check compatibility, it might arouse suspicion. Your ring is well preserved. Even though three years have passed, your scent still remains on it.”

This ring was an heirloom left to Xi Li by his mother. Xi Li used to wear it on a string around his neck and never took it off. It was only before the final battle that Xi Li removed and sealed it. The news that Xi Li was living as data in a game was top secret. Before Xi Li could return from the game, Song Yun did not dare to be careless.

Only this way could he safely carry out Xi Li’s order. If the compatibility between Qin Fei and Xi Li truly reached 100%, Qin Fei would have a corresponding reaction no matter how faint the scent on the ring was.

He sent another message to the Little Prince.

“When you return, I am willing to accept any punishment.”

Song Yun waited for a reply. It came soon.

“How is Qin Fei now?”

Song Yun replied, “Before I left the room, Mr. Qin Fei showed no abnormality.”

After that, he received no further reply from the Little Prince.

On the other side of the starship, inside the guarded first-class cabin, Qin Fei’s dizziness became increasingly rampant. He did not know the situation outside the door. He only knew that he must have entered his sensitive period. His glands were throbbing violently, his breathing was tight, and his whole body was burning with heat.

He struggled to raise his hand to touch the gland on the back of his neck, but the heat made him flinch. His sensitive period had just ended; to have another one after only ten days suggested pheromone interference.

This sensitive period was unexpected and aggressive, far more painful than usual. Even after taking two doses of suppressants, there was no improvement. Instead, he felt worse. He felt as if his body had been hollowed out, desperately needing something to fill the void.

Was it Song Yun? He had only been in contact with Song Yun.

“Duan Duan,” Qin Fei tried to wake the terminal to have it check for interference sources. However, the terminal acted as if its signal was blocked; it had not made a sound since Song Yun entered the cabin.

After the last suppressant was used, Qin Fei’s fever did not subside. Instead, his breathing grew more rapid. In his distress, he curled himself into a ball and hugged himself, wishing that this action would bring him a sense of embrace and relief.

As he sat there holding himself, the cabin door seemed to open. Someone entered, and there was the sound of rustling. But Qin Fei no longer had the strength to raise his head.

Several Beta doctors examined him and reached the conclusion of “Total Sensitivity.”

“Admiral,” a doctor reported through the communicator, “under the condition of Total Sensitivity, no suppressant can provide rapid relief. Only a temporary marking by the Alpha who triggered the Omega’s Total Sensitivity can alleviate the pain.”

Total Sensitivity. Qin Fei had heard of this medical condition. Under the influence of high compatibility pheromones, an Omega would enter a state of Total Sensitivity.

High compatibility. Was Prince Xi Li still alive?

Qin Fei propped up his head and saw the busy doctors. The doctor holding the communicator said, “Yes, the compatibility between Mr. Qin Fei and the Little Prince should have reached 100%, but the Little Prince is no longer with us.”

On the other end of the communicator, Song Yun was silent for a moment before asking, “Is there any other way?”

“We can only try some powerful suppressants.”

It really was Song Yun.

Qin Fei was both shocked and angry. His emotions fluctuated violently, causing him to cough suddenly. What did Song Yun want to do? From the moment he was engaged to Prince Xi Li, his life had been like walking on thin ice every day. After Prince Xi Li died, he stayed in that suffocating Imperial family. Was it not enough to have remained a widower for three years?

One doctor tried to pat his back, but Qin Fei pushed them away. He was like a cat with its fur standing on end, showing his sharp claws. “Do not touch me!”

These doctors were all wearing military uniforms. They were military doctors. They were the ones who had boarded the ship with Song Yun, coming from the First District. This was not a routine inspection; they were specifically looking for trouble with him.

“Song Yun,” Qin Fei coughed.

He could not control his emotions during the sensitive period, especially after being suppressed for so many years. Qin Fei struggled to reach for the communicator in the military doctor’s hand. He wanted to demand an answer. From the beginning when everyone praised the marriage as a match made in heaven, to today when they were separated by death, was it his fault?

His outstretched arm was grabbed by several military doctors. Qin Fei struggled with all his might. “Do not touch me.”

But his arm was still pinned down. The terminal on his wrist was removed, and a cold liquid was injected into his skin.

Qin Fei was still struggling when suddenly, an angry voice rang out from behind the crowd, “Everyone, get the hell out of here!”

Everyone was stunned and turned to look. The terminal placed on the side projected a tall image.

Qin Fei recognized him immediately. He felt a mix of surprise and grievance. It seemed that among the room full of strangers, someone had finally come to help him.

It was his 2D character.

Qin Fei could no longer control his emotions. With a soft sound, his tears began to fall. He looked at Xi Li with red, tearful eyes and called out softly, “Sha Bei.”

In that instant, Xi Li’s heart felt as if it had been stabbed and shredded by a soft knife.