Volume 1, Chapter 5: Let the Next One Be His!

Meng Yuan managed to escape disaster by walking slowly, but Lanke was not so lucky; he was blown away by the explosion.

Because the explosion was silent and carefully contained, the robots in the distance did not detect anything.

Only a moment after the explosion, a man dressed as a bodyguard in a black suit leaped over the outer wall, water droplets falling from his body onto the sand.

The nanny, ever diligent, remained by Meng Yuan’s side.

Seeing the bodyguard-assassin closing in, Meng Yuan shielded her belly with both hands, frantically calling out to the system in her mind—if the host died, who would perform its missions?

They waited in vain for a response from the system, but instead, the assassin in the suit suddenly turned and left on his own.

Huh? He had just been holding a gun, intending to kill them—why leave so suddenly?

"Miss, please stay here. I will go call for the military."

After the nanny left, Meng Yuan immediately went to check on Lanke’s injuries.

Although his face had several scrapes and his clothes were in tatters, he had fortunately used his mental power to protect himself at the critical moment.

Over there, the nanny used a robot to contact the military. Half a minute later, a flying vehicle arrived. Soldiers descended one after another; several quickly lifted the young master onto the vehicle, while the rest followed the tracks to pursue the attackers.

The dark room was illuminated for a brief moment as a subordinate opened the door, only to be swallowed by darkness once again.

Alick glanced at the drawn curtains. Whenever the young master was in a foul mood, he would shut himself in the dark. Alick then spoke respectfully, "Young Master."

Beastmen’s eyes are unaffected by darkness. Hekun did not even look at him, a cigarette held between his long, slender fingers.

He could not imagine that the woman from that night was still alive, and pregnant to boot.

The reason they had sent Alliance members to infiltrate the Xilna Empire was to eliminate those who had been captured and to send a warning to the Xilna Empire—that woman included.

Yet, when the footage was transmitted back, he saw the woman with her large belly, and at that moment, he had let the assassin walk away.

He was now truly regretting why he had spared her life. With his SSS-rank mental power, he had no hope of having heirs of his own, and that woman was surely carrying someone else’s child.

He switched the screen to Meng Yuan’s feed. "Go and kill her."

Alick found the woman familiar, and then realization dawned on him. His first reaction was shock. "Young Master, if she is truly carrying your..."

"That is impossible."

Alick lowered his head, immediately admitting his mistake. "Forgive me, Young Master, I spoke out of turn."

"Forget it. That woman is in Leste’s estate. After this attack, their defenses will certainly be reinforced. Bring your men; I will go and finish her myself."

"Yes."

Far away in the Xilna Empire, Meng Yuan had no idea that the father of her child was coming to kill her himself. Her only concern at the moment was Lanke.

This boy was truly sincere; he did not look down on others because of family status, and he was genuine in his treatment of her.

Every little while, she would ask the robot if Lanke had returned from the hospital or if there was any news about him.

The robot’s answer was always the same.

"I apologize, there is currently no news regarding Young Master Lanke. The system will inform you, Mistress, the moment any information is received."

The nanny also offered comfort from the side. "Miss, the Young Master has his own destiny. Besides, when I was protecting you, I saw the Young Master use his mental power to defend himself. He shouldn’t be too badly hurt. Please don’t be too sad, think of the child in your belly."

"I hope so," Meng Yuan said, looking at the scenery outside the window. Life is unpredictable.

Just then, the robot spoke up. "Mistress, the Young Master has returned."

Leste? Meng Yuan stood up and, supported by the nanny, went to his study.

The study was filled with top-secret documents. Even the most advanced machines have a risk of being hacked, so soldiers stood guard on both sides of the door.

"This is a restricted area. Please leave immediately."

"Could you please inform the Colonel? I have something to ask him."

"Apologies, Miss, the Colonel has ordered that he not be disturbed by anyone."

Meng Yuan returned disappointed, feeling uneasy. Deep down, she felt she bore a small part of the responsibility for what had happened.

She desperately wanted to know how Lanke was doing. If someone could just tell her he was not in life-threatening danger, she would feel much more at ease, rather than having her heart in her throat like this.

"Miss, shall I prepare the snacks as I did yesterday?"

Meng Yuan sighed. "I have no appetite right now. No need to prepare them."

"Go and prepare them," Leste’s voice suddenly came from the doorway.

Meng Yuan looked over in surprise. "Why are you here?"

Leste was still in his military uniform, his face showing signs of fatigue. "The soldiers told me you came looking for me. I thought it might be urgent, so I came over."

"Did I interrupt your work?"

"No."

As they spoke, the nanny had already set the small snacks on the table, mostly desserts.

"May I ask, how is Lanke’s condition?"

"Miss Meng, do not worry. Lanke’s injuries are minor. He only needs two days of rest to recover completely."

Meng Yuan’s heart finally settled.

"That is good."

"Colonel, have you eaten lunch?"

Leste shook his head. "Not yet."

Meng Yuan pushed a small cake in front of her toward him. "Then please, Colonel, have some dessert to hold you over. I will have someone bring some nutrient solution later."

Leste looked at the dessert. Beastmen do not need to eat solid food; nutrient solution suffices. Since he was a child, he had never eaten such a dessert.

"This is..."

Meng Yuan looked at him in disbelief. "This is a small cake. Don’t you know what this is, Colonel?"

Leste shook his head. "Never seen one."

"There is also a large cake, used for birthdays. Don’t tell me people here never celebrate birthdays!"

He shook his head again. "We celebrate birthdays, but we don’t eat the 'large cake' you speak of. We hold a banquet to mark the occasion."

Good grief, the rich really are different—holding a whole banquet to celebrate a birthday.

Meng Yuan thought: Fine, pretend I said nothing.

Leste picked up a fork and took a small taste of the cake. The moment the silky sweetness touched his taste buds, his pupils dilated.

"The taste is good. It is something I have never tasted before."

Meng Yuan had already noticed that he was a reserved man; even if he were happy, it wouldn’t show much on his face. Knowing he liked it, she pushed the milk tea over. "Try this."

Leste took a sip and was surprised to find something inside. "What did you add to this?"

"I added some fruit cut into small pieces."

"The nanny has grown up in the family since she was young, and I have never seen her make these. You must have taught her, right?"

The nanny stood by and replied, "Young Master, the young lady is very clever and patient; she taught me many times before I could learn."

"Hmm, indeed, very clever."

Having been praised by the icy Colonel, Meng Yuan felt a sudden sense of achievement. The words "clever and deft" were likely not easily spoken by him.

[Host, I just realized Colonel Leste is also a good option. Why don't you have your next child with him? As the saying goes, those close to the water get the moonlight first—he has power, money, and looks.]