Chapter 116 – The Children Are Innocent
Jian Luo kept his gaze fixed on the footage above. He hadn’t looked away yet. These things, these recordings, were all things he had never seen before, things he had never thought about. He felt shocked, incredulous, and even a little sad.
The queen smiled, “Shall we play?”
Jian Luo asked, “What do you want to play?”
“If you don’t believe these things are real, let’s go to the central level of the Dark Star Medical Research Institute,” the queen flicked her red hair, “See what they’re doing there.”
This wasn’t playing a game; it was just forcing something upon him.
Jian Luo closed his eyes, leaned back in his seat for a moment, then straightened up. “I don’t want to see.”
The queen raised an eyebrow, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Silver Gray lounged beside, crossing his legs lazily. “Just a word of advice, better to stay put here. Even if you run back to Dark Star, they won’t treat you like a person, won’t give you freedom. Those people from the dragon race, no, those people from Dark Star, they’ve gone mad. They’ve all gone mad, long gone.”
Jian Luo remained silent.
It was impossible for him not to return. His mother and brother were still on Dark Star. Though he didn’t have a deep bond with them in a certain sense, but…
He didn’t want to live the life of an interstellar pirate here either.
After much contemplation, Jian Luo said, “Whatever I face upon my return is my own choice. Bringing me here against my will is a violation of my wishes. If I return to Dark Star, I might be imprisoned only after I’m born. But here, I’m already imprisoned.”
“If you’re giving me the opportunity to choose, as you say, then aren’t you the one restricting my freedom now?” Jian Luo said earnestly, “You have no right to decide others’ lives, understand?”
After saying this, he looked at Silver Gray.
Silver Gray looked at him with a somewhat pitying gaze, as if hearing the biggest joke in the world. He even seemed to marvel at the innocence and stupidity of humans.
Silver Gray was straightforward, “Haven’t you figured it out yet?”
Jian Luo choked.
“Do you still think he will protect you? He’s the Dragon King first, then Lu Shifeng,” Silver Gray clarified, “First comes the responsibility to the race, then the responsibility of a father. If you can’t distinguish between the two, you’re just too foolish.”
Jian Luo’s hands, placed aside, involuntarily clenched.
Silver Gray sighed, saying, “Look at Dark Star, look at its prosperity. In reality, everyone there is just a walking dead, unhappy. They’re all living in an invisible prison.”
“Even if you have children, so what?” Silver Gray sneered, “It’s just dragging another race, even humanity, into this prison. Because of you, perhaps all of humanity will become sacrifices to this hell. You say everyone has the right to choose their own life. What about your own kind? Do they have the chance to choose because of everything you’ll endure?”
Jian Luo choked up, unexpectedly speechless.
“Think about it when you go back. You can leave now,” Silver Gray said to the queen below, “Take him back.”
The queen stood up and agreed.
The journey back through the corridor was as long as before, but Jian Luo’s state of mind was entirely different. Before, he had only thought about memorizing the route to escape, but now he felt a profound sense of powerlessness emanating from within. This feeling was too heavy; he couldn’t shake it off.
The queen ushered him into a room. “Luoluo.”
Jian Luo turned around.
“Make the best of what you have,” the queen winked at him, “There will be a small party this afternoon. I can take you to join.”
Jian Luo wasn’t in the mood and didn’t want to play, but as a prisoner, he had no choice but to agree. “Okay.”
—
This was his first time participating in a gathering of the interstellar pirate group.
Within this interstellar pirate group were many different races, but most were dragons. Jian Luo followed the queen into the hall and sat in a prominent position.
At the highest seat sat Silver Gray. Below, there was peace and revelry. Various delicacies from different planets were laid out on the table, all piled together like a buffet.
There were many foods Jian Luo wasn’t used to, but having traveled to so many places with Lu Shifeng, he had learned to adapt. When he encountered something he didn’t like, he would find a way to cook it himself and change the cooking method.
At the moment, there was grilled meat on the table.
Jian Luo sliced the meat with a knife, sprinkled some salt, found some vegetable leaves, then took two pieces of bread to wrap it all up, making a sandwich.
There happened to be sweet sauce on the table. Jian Luo simply picked it up and drew a smiley face on the bread, lightening the mood a bit.
Silver Gray had been watching him all along. When Jian Luo was almost done, Silver Gray spoke, “What are you doing?”
Jian Luo was taken aback and looked up, “Making food.”
Silver Gray nodded and reached out, “Give it to me, let me taste.”
“…”
Jian Luo’s joy vanished. He disagreed, “You’re not used to it. I just made it randomly.”
“Don’t wait for me to get it myself,” Silver Gray ignored his protests, “The consequences could be severe, you know?”
Jian Luo choked.
Indeed, reasoning with a pirate was futile. He reluctantly handed the sandwich over, suppressing the urge to throw it in Silver Gray’s face, and turned to leave. But he heard a voice from behind, “Come back.”
Jian Luo turned around, “What now?”
Silver Gray tore the sandwich in half and handed one half back to Jian Luo, then said, “When you were with Lu Shifeng, did you eat these too?”
Jian Luo took the food, hesitated for a moment, then took a slow bite, “No.”
“What did you eat then?”
“… A lot of things.”
Silver Gray seemed to find something amusing, “Alright, from now on, you can go to the kitchen every day. Whatever you used to eat, you can make it for me.”
Jian Luo refused outright, “No, I’m pregnant, I can’t cook.”
Silver Gray said, “Are you stupid? Having the chance to go to the kitchen means you can move around more. What if there’s a chance to escape? Someone like you, if caught, won’t even have a chance to escape.”
—
Jian Luo’s lips twitched, “Thanks for your concern.”
Silver Gray replied, “You’re welcome.”
Jian Luo swore he had never seen such illogical behavior from a former pirate. Just when you thought he was going to cause trouble, he might just be joking around, and when you thought he wanted to imprison you, he might give you a chance to escape. Silver Gray was unpredictable, impossible to fathom. He was like a child addicted to games; you never knew what he would do next.
“Oh!”
The queen returned from the dance floor below.
She said to Jian Luo, “How’s the food? Do you like it?”
Jian Luo looked at her slightly disheveled appearance. Somehow, everything a charming woman did seemed to have a certain allure. Following his gaze, Jian Luo noticed some bruises on the queen’s body, partly visible due to her clothing shifting.
The queen said, “Do you think my figure is good?”
Jian Luo didn’t respond. He simply took off his slightly oversized coat and dr4p3d it over the queen, “The air conditioning here is quite cold.”
The queen was stunned.
For the first time, an expression resembling surprise and confusion appeared on her beautiful face, although it lasted only a moment, it was enough.
Supporting her chin with one hand, the queen asked, “What, do you think I look bad?”
Jian Luo, with a mouthful of sandwich, didn’t indulge her. His straight male demeanor kept her firmly in check, “If you’re not cold, then give it back to me.”
The queen was first stunned, then burst into laughter.
Her laughter was joyous, her delicate frame trembling, her voice coquettish: “Well, it’s rare not to be undressed by someone but to have someone dress me instead. I’ll wear it then, just to experience it, to enjoy this feeling.”
Jian Luo took a sip of water. “With your conditions, finding someone who treats you well shouldn’t be difficult, right?”
The queen’s smile gradually faded. She tidied her hair, her exquisite face devoid of much pride. “Some paths can only be looked upon forward, not retraced.”
Jian Luo turned to look at her, but she was gazing upward.
The Silver Gray figure sat on the throne, accompanied by two delicate maidens dining with him. Unlike Lu Shifeng, he was more focused on indulgence, evident from the luxurious decor of the warship. The two women sitting beside the Silver Gray were equally beautiful.
Jian Luo found the queen’s gaze towards the Silver Gray somewhat familiar, a suppressed fondness. Though the queen hadn’t said anything, the eyes never lie. Jian Luo guessed the queen must have feelings for the Silver Gray. But why weren’t they together? That, he couldn’t figure out.
—
Jian Luo was not accustomed to such scenes. He wiped his hands. “I’m full, I want to go back.”
The queen glanced at the Silver Gray.
The Silver Gray waved his hand, prompting the queen to say to Jian Luo, “You can’t rest so soon after eating. Let me take you for a walk first.”
Jian Luo replied, “As you wish.”
They walked through the vast corridors of the warship, accompanied by a vice admiral this time. Normally, they didn’t have a vice admiral accompanying them for walks. This time, Jian Luo had a vague ominous feeling.
Sure enough, they stopped in front of a somewhat unfamiliar door.
The queen pressed her hand against it, and the vice admiral also pressed it down. Only then did the door open. Inside were various medical devices, bottles and jars stacked against one wall. Further inside, they saw people. These must be the injured ones, lying on beds. Some of them looked peculiar to Jian Luo because… they were in child form.
Jian Luo asked, “Are they your children?”
The queen glanced at him before replying, “It seems you know nothing about the Dragon Clan. Dragon scales can help them resist ninety percent of fatal injuries. But if they face a life-threatening situation beyond that, their defense mechanism will be triggered. To reduce the flow of life energy, severely injured dragons undergo atavism, reverting to their juvenile form.”
Jian Luo widened his eyes. “What about their intelligence?”
The vice admiral behind them said, “It diminishes until they recover from their injuries.”
Jian Luo nodded. He actually thought it was quite good. It was probably a self-protection mechanism of their bodies. Dragons were indeed a unique race, with extremely strong healing abilities. They were nearly indestructible. If not for problems in their reproduction, they might have dominated the galaxy.
“Drip.”
A door ahead opened.
The queen gestured for Jian Luo to enter. This was another hidden room, filled with doctors in white coats. The scene sent shivers down Jian Luo’s spine.
The queen said, “Don’t be nervous. It’s just a blood sample collection for you and your unborn child’s examination, to reduce the risks during childbirth.”
Seeing the syringes made Jian Luo a bit scared.
The medical staff came over, making Jian Luo sit on the apparatus before starting to draw blood. They were clearly different from the medical staff on the warship. They knew he was afraid of pain; each time they were careful and even engaged in conversation to distract him. Finally, they only took a small sample.
After the blood was drawn, they conducted various other tests before leaving.
The queen stood behind the whole time. After the examination was done, she led Jian Luo back, saying, “You don’t need to cook after eating. Just rest in your room. I’ll come see you tomorrow.”
The two stood at the door of the room.
Jian Luo turned and asked, “What are you going to do?”
The queen first looked stunned, then said, “What are you talking about?”
“Isn’t it a physical examination?” Jian Luo looked at her quietly. “I’ve been through many examinations, and what you just had me do didn’t fit into the scope of a physical examination.”
The queen remained silent.
A smile tugged at Jian Luo’s lips. “You talk about it being for me and the child’s good, but the Dark Star people haven’t come to examine me. Aren’t you in a hurry? Although I don’t know what Silver Gray wants to do, but his current behavior, how is it any different from those elders of the Dragon Clan back then?”
“Is his concept of freedom just restricting others’ freedom?” Jian Luo leaned against the door. “Instead of thinking about how to harm their own kind, how to sacrifice others, why not reflect on oneself and cherish the present moment?”
Karma, sow the seeds, reap the fruits.
Whether it was the Dark Star, the Dragon Clan, or humanity, under the broken nest, how could there be perfect eggs? During the prosperity of humanity, they neglected the balance of nature, failed to protect the ecological environment, and thus received nature’s retribution. And if there were problems in the reproduction of the Dark Star’s race, it was also the retribution given by nature.
This world is fair, always fair. Everyone has to pay the price for what they do.
“The children are innocent.” Jian Luo sighed. “And I am human. My body is not as robust as a female dragon’s. The due date is approaching, and I’m worried about malnutrition affecting the safety of the child’s birth. I may not be worth much, but these children, they are Lu Shifeng’s children. I dare say, if anything happens to them, Lu Shifeng, no, the Dark Star, will not let you off.”
They locked eyes in silence.
The queen, standing before him, stared at Jian Luo for a moment, then walked into the room, closing the door behind her. This action startled Jian Luo.
“What are you doing?” Jian Luo asked.
The queen glanced at a certain spot on the room’s monitor, a smile playing on her lips. She pulled Jian Luo to sit on the bed, then reached out and pulled down the canopy, leaving only the two of them on the bed, eye to eye.
Then, the queen took off a ring from her hand and placed it in Jian Luo’s hand.
Jian Luo asked, “What’s this?”
“A spatial ring, it can transport you to other places.” The queen adjusted her hair. “You can’t use it here. Three days later, the starship will stop at a planet for replenishment. As long as you find an opportunity to leave the control network of the warship, the ring will function normally.”
Jian Luo’s eyes widened slowly.
The queen smiled. “Then you can leave.”
Jian Luo stuttered, “Why are you helping me?”
Isn’t this strange? Aren’t they on the same side? And what benefit does she get from helping him?
The queen reclined on the bed, her tone slightly heavy. “I’m not helping you, I’m helping him. He doesn’t want to live, but I want him to live. You’re right, Lu Shifeng will indeed not let Silver Gray off. But as long as you’re safe, he might give Silver Gray a chance to live. Luo Luo, I hope you remember my help today. In the future… if you have the chance, I hope you can let Silver Gray off, okay?”
T/N: Hey there! How have y’all been? If you missed the previous TN, been busy with life and all, so apologies for the super delayed update, but I plan on finishing this series this year so hang on tight! Please accept this mass-update as an apology! We will get back to a regular update schedule till the last chapter is published (ch180). There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! Hope you’ve all stayed healthy!
Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
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Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!
If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’
How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection
What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love
How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep
and many, many more!
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