Flushed over by warm water and bubbles of soap, a true shower had already become a secondary goal for the entangled couple.
After their passion had tided over, two moist bodies snuggled underneath the blankets. The thinness of the blanket did nothing to hide Shentu Tianyin’s voluptuous curves and also a certain part of Xia Lei that never failed to elicit blushes from women.
Shentu Tianyin laid her head on his shoulder. Yet, her eyes were glued to the glass vial beside the bed. There was only a little bit of antidote left inside, an amount only sufficient for one more use.
On the other hand, Xia Lei was staring straight at the oil painting in an attempt to manifest assumptions about the Jungle of No Return and Zhu Xuanyue’s plan… Sadly, there was only this much that he knew. Though he had a mind that was almost as powerful as a computer, he could not come out with a plausible thought. And to think towards the worst-case scenario was far too easy than he’d love to admit. What if Zhu Xuanyue’s comrades invade their universe and turn its apex predators- humans- into their meals?
The pure energy beings would be able to control human minds with ease if they ever step foot here. With that, they’d be able to feed and prey on every person in the world and become stronger. When that happens, that would be equivalent to the end of the world.
“If Zhu Xuanyue’s plan is to destroy the world, why is the prehistoric chosen one not stopping her? He’s still considered as one of us and Zhu Xuanyue’s arch-nemesis. So why is he not doing anything to stop her?” This was something Xia Lei could not understand.
If the prehistoric chosen one was there to attack Zhu Xuanyue, he and Xia Lei would stand a chance at stopping her.
Yet, the prehistoric chosen one did not appear.
“Hubby, the antidote Yuyan gave me is about to hit bottom. Do you think…” Shentu Tianyin’s soft voice interjected the comfortable silence. The woman looked a bit bashful. “Do you think I’m pregnant?”
Xia Lei paused his thoughts and reached a palm deeper underneath the blanket, plastering it to Shentu Tianyin’s lower abdomen. Her tummy was soft and flat, but the skin was taut and warm. The man caressed her baby skin and smiled. “I can feel a little fella kicking your stomach walls. Yeah, I think you’re pregnant.”
“Hehe.” Shentu Tianyin giggled like a child. “Do you think that is going to work on me? Even if I’m pregnant, it’s far too early to feel anything.”
“Fan Fan can help check. She’s the best biotechnologist in the country,” said Xia Lei. But as soon as those words escaped his lips, he immediately noticed he had said something wrong. His relationship with Shentu Tianyin was a secret, it was only to satisfy her yearning for a child. How was Shentu Tianyin supposed to approach Fan Fan for pregnancy checks?
As expected, Shentu Tianyin’s smile dissipated. The joyful glimmer in her eyes was replaced with sadness. “Will you still visit me after we return home?”
That was a difficult question.
Shentu Tianyin’s expression darkened. “What about when I go into labour?”
Xia Lei gathered her closer to his body. “Of course I’ll still visit you. When you go into labour, I will definitely be by your side.”
If this was all she wished for, Xia Lei would gladly accommodate her. Occasional secret dates till the day his deadline arrived was no big deal. If Shentu Tianyin was truly carrying his children and had successfully birthed them, Xia Lei too would take up his responsibilities as a husband and a father even when Shentu Tianyin wasn’t asking for an association.
Shentu Tianyin brightened up at that. She rubbed her cheeks gently against his face. “Meeting you was the best thing in my life. I’ve lost you once due to my own stupidity. I will not lose you twice.”
Xia Lei placed a smooch between her brows while his heart sighed heavily. He was running out of time and they were bound to be separated. When his end arrives, the damage she’d sustain would be way severe than the time they got divorced. And Xia Lei, on the other hand, had no power to change anything.
“Tianyin… If I die someday, I hope you’ll live well and take good care of the children, okay?” said Xia Lei.
The grim statement caught Shentu Tianyin by surprise. She reached over and pinched Xia Lei’s waist. “Why are you saying that? I don’t want to hear that from you. I want you to live long enough to see our children get married. You can’t leave, I will not allow that. Promise me that, please?”
Xia Lei smiled slightly and nodded. “Alright, I promise.”
Shentu Tianyin began kissing Xia Lei’s face, her hands began to run wild.
Without warning, Xia Lei peeled the blanket away.
Shentu Tianyin yelped in surprise and covered her important bits with urgency. But her palms weren’t doing much to hide anything. With a flushed face, she hissed, “What the hell?!”
Xia Lei merely said, “Let me take a look at your womb. I can see if there’s a child in there or not.”
“I don’t believe you.” Shentu Tianyin had a feeling that Xia Lei was just making an excuse to oogle her.
“Listen to me. Lie down properly and let me check it out.”
Shentu Tianyin moved her arms away. If he wanted to ogle, she’d let him ogle, no questions asked. Her earlier act of modesty was just for show.
Xia Lei landed his gaze on the woman’s lower abdomen. The taut skin was like a layer of snow, Shentu Tianyin was honestly such a gorgeous person. Xia Lei found that he wouldn’t grow tired of this sight even if he were to stare for three years.
Shentu Tianyin twisted her waist a little. “What are you staring at? Pervert.”
At that moment, Xia Lei abruptly activated his X-ray vision and scanning supermode and went through layers of her skin. Once he had gotten beneath the layer, he called for his microscopic vision. Under the combined efforts of the three skills, a womb’s information was projected into his brain.
He picked up a faint, pale presence inside. The sensation could not be explained with words and before he could even inspect it closer, two fertilized ovums entered his sight.
The finding left Xia Lei bewildered. He cast the odd sensation aside and began to guffaw. “Tianyin, you’re pregnant with two children but… I don’t know if they’re a pair of opposite sex twins and same sex twins.”
The fertilized ovums were still phases away from complete sexual differentiation.
“...Really?” Shentu Tianyin was dumbfounded.
Xia Lei nodded confidently. “It’s real. Trust me.”
Shentu Tianyin let out a whine, clambered up and wrapped her limbs tight around Xia Lei. Overwhelmed with emotions, she choked out, “I’m going to be a mom! I’m going to be a mom soon! I’m going to mother two children! Hahaha…”
Xia Lei quickly clamped a palm over her lips. “Shh. People will hear us and tease us later.”
She suppressed the bubbling excitement with all her might and nodded fervently. She lowered her voice. “Then I’ll say this a tad bit softer… Hubby, I love you. I really love you.”
Xia Lei kissed the top of her nose.
And she kissed his lips. “The two names you thought of can be used now. The boy will be named Xia Yang and the girl will be named Xia Yue.”
Xia Lei chuckled. “There’s no way to tell their gender for now. It might be a pair of sons or a pair of daughters for all we know.”
“Then they’ll still be Xia Yang and Xia Yue. You’re the father, you can name your children any name you wish,” said Shentu Tianyin.
Xia Lei plastered his cheek against Shentu Tianyin’s belly. Her lower abdomen was soft and warm, just like a heated jelly that radiated an enchanting natural fragrance. His gaze began to move downwards inevitably, and…
At that point, his body was positively heating up with lust.
Shentu Tianyin threaded her fingers through his hair and caressed his face. Strands of her hair that brushed past his being were wonderfully silky.
And that alone was enough to drive him over the edge. He sat up and pressed her into the mattress.
“Careful, I’m pregnant,” said Shentu Tianyin. She closed her eyes bashfully.
Xia Lei nodded and promised to be gentle…
This time, Shentu Tianyin had long forgotten about the vial of antidote. Happiness was simple and she had finally acquired hers. The process may have been one hell of a difficult ride, but everything she experienced was still no less beautiful and valuable.
Morning came stealthily and golden sun rays began to pour in from the window. The floor had specks of gold light and the bed sheets were bleached white. The scenery outdoors was encaptivating but the scenery indoors was even more alluring.
Xia Lei had woken up early. As soon as he reached over to wake Shentu Tianyin up, he immediately gave up on the thought. She was still soundly asleep and there was a tranquil smile across her lips. He just couldn’t bear to disturb her peace.
Knock, knock, knock.
The sound of door rapping was heard.
Xia Lei faced the door, immediately noticing Tsukino Kyoko, who was standing outside the room.
The man went over to answer the door and left the room. Coming face-to-face with Tsukino Kyoko, Xia Lei couldn’t help but flash her an awkward smile. “Kyoko, are we moving soon?”
Tsukino Kyoko passed her satellite phone to Xia Lei. “There’s a call for you.”
Xia Lei was stunned. “From who?”
The female ninja replied, “From father. You should call him back. He’s waiting for you.”
Xia Lei quickly dialled Xia Changhe’s number and the call was immediately put through.
“Xia Lei.”
“Yes, father?” Xia Lei pressed, “Where are you? I really want to meet you.”
There were just too many things he wished to ask Xia Changhe.
“I’m in Israel, Jerusalem.”
“What are you doing in Jerusalem?”
“There’s no need to ask now. I’ll tell you more when I get home.”
“And just when are you coming home?” Xia Lei felt rather frustrated. “Your grandchildren are already able to speak but they’ve never once met their grandfather. What exactly are you working on?”
“You need to believe that I’m doing all of this for your sake.”
Xia Lei drew a long sigh. “Alright. Why are you calling me this time?”
There was a beat of silence before Xia Changhe replied, “Big trouble is about to arrive. You need to be prepared.”
“What do you mean?” Xia Lei’s heart sank. “Father, do you know about everything that has happened?”
“A gigantic disaster is about to happen. I’m sure you know what I’m trying to say here.” Xia Changhe continued, “That Kestin fella following that woman is not a real person. He’s highly dangerous and he’ll be an obstacle to your plans. You need to destroy him no matter what it takes.”
“What do you know about him?”
“He’s the clone of Da Vinci.”
“Where did you learn this from?” Xia Lei was shocked. He had learnt this fact through Zhu Xuanyue’s lips and if she had kept mum about it, there was no way Xia Lei would believe that Kestin was Da Vinci’s replica. Where the hell was Xia Changhe getting his information from?
“I have my own channel. I know there’s a lot of things you wish to ask but as I said, I’ll tell you everything when I’m home. Be careful, you must get rid of Kestin.”
“I will.”
“That’s all I have to say. Take care!” Xia Changhe ended the call.
Xia Lei froze for a few moments before returning the device to Tsukino Kyoko.
“So did you have a good time…” Tsukino Kyoko’s expression was odd. “... last night?”
Xia Lei hesitated for a moment. “When we get back, I’ll go with you to your practise spot for a duel. How’s that?”
That was their secret code. The water pool on the mountain behind Thunder Horse Organization was where Tsukino Kyoko practised her skills. Back when they were in China, the female ninja would’ve invited him to the back mountain for a ‘practise’ every time she yearned for him. But of course, the practice’s agenda were unspeakable things.
Tsukino Kyoko smiled, suddenly lurching forward to kiss his cheek.
Xia Lei was once again dumbfounded.
Tsukino Kyoko turned around to leave, not forgetting to remind, “Go wake her up. We’re leaving after breakfast.”
The man returned a smile. “Got it.”
Women and children were probably the only things that could bring him ease and happiness.