Can’t Pretend Chapter 89: Looking High and Far

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Kiramekineko

 

When he was lying on the bed, Ji Cheying pressed down on top of Xie Quan, kissing him so quickly and delicately that Xie Quan felt he could hardly breathe, like a fish being thrown on the shore. In the end, Ji Cheying followed the edge of the trail and bit down on the gland with his teeth. The taste of lime, already impregnated with the taste of his pheromone, blossomed out, and he kissed the spot lightly, hooking the person in his arms with a trembling sound of patience.

“Ji, Ji Cheying! If you want to bite, hurry up!” Xie Quan, exasperated, simply gasped and urged. Xie Quan was so angry that he simply panted and urged, pulling at the slightly hard knot and biting and licking it, like a beast of prey.

Hearing Xie Quan’s exasperated voice, Ji Cheying let out a low chuckle from deep in his throat before finally letting go of Xie Quan and biting into his omega gland once and for all. Xie Quan bit his lips to endure the pleasure of the pheromone union, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The man was finally willing to give him pleasure.

After the temporary marking, Ji Cheying just kept holding Xie Quan and didn’t let go of his hand, his slightly cool nose resting against the gland at the back of Xie Quan’s neck, rubbing it, like a puppy pampering.

Both of them quietly calmed their breathing, Xie Quan’s forehead was already covered with beads of sweat, he wanted to move forward, away from the dangerous man behind him, but as soon as he moved, he was pulled back even harder, in a tighter embrace.

Ji Cheying’s hoarse voice warned, “Don’t move.”

Xie Quan didn’t speak.

Xie Quan suddenly remembered something, and he asked with concern, “Does temporary marking count?”

Ji Cheying, who was now like a big cat with an insatiable appetite, just a jerk of his chin away from purring, asked lazily, “What?”

“What you said before, one of the conditions for becoming a legal husband and wife.”

Ji Cheying was silent for half a second before replying slowly, “…The temporary mark doesn’t count.”

That was just a rhetoric he used to bind the two of them, if he hadn’t said that, Ji Shanhong wouldn’t have let him accompany Xie Quan to the palace, and it would have been even harder for him to interfere with Xie Quan’s affairs later.

Xie Quan then reacted to the fact that Ji Cheying was lying. He said, “One bite and you’re a husband and wife, this marriage is too casual!”

Ji Cheying immediately added, “But if you are fully marked, you do automatically have the status of legal husband and wife.”

He rolled over and pressed back on top of Xie Quan, his eyes filled with eager excitement.

“Ah, you reminded me, so as not to fall into disrepute, when are we going to make up for this whole complete marking thing?”

Xie Quan was speechless.

Ji Cheying asked tentatively and seductively, “I wonder if it’s today?”

Xie Quan picked up the pillow next to him and unceremoniously “slapped” it precisely on Ji Cheying’s face.

“Pervert. Lustful beast, stay away from me.”

 

Xie Quan stayed in the palace for a few days, but Emperor Hea did not summon him for an audience, nor did Saroyan ever come to trouble him. It was like he was forgotten, except for Ji Shanhong. Ji Shanhong would come over every afternoon to have a cup of tea with him, only each time Xie Quan drank tea, while Ji Shanhong drank a glass of orange wine.

But they often did not have much conversation, in addition to some simple daily pleasantries, and Xie Quan asked about the current situation, most of the time just sitting in silence to each other, but a few old acquaintances between the comfortable and relaxed. But both of them know very well that this was a false calm.

The protesters outside the city had intensified, and it was not a peaceful march. The betas got weapons from somewhere and it gradually developed into armed marches in some areas. Of course, such a protest got more violent suppression.

So one after another, there were finally casualties.

Four beta died in the chaos of the dispersal and two policemen were seriously injured.

The nation was in shock, followed by national mourning.

But instead of calming down with such a painful lesson, the public’s emotions grew fiercer as the royal family took a diminished approach. The betas’ anger set the empire on fire, and it was only then that the omega and alpha finally realized that the betas’ protest was not a mere exercise as it had been in the past. It was not just for show, as in the past. They really wanted to change something this time, and had a clear goal.

Restarting beta re-differentiation research! Let the beta also have the opportunity to differentiate into alpha and omega, get rid of today’s humble status, and become a real human being!

At the same time, there was a dark tide of struggle that unfolded before the public noticed. Of course, there were a few sensitive people who had noticed, that was, the movement of the legion.

The Eleventh Legion, which had been transferred away from the Imperial Capital to carry out its mission some time ago, suddenly killed a comeback, and not only that, but also took advantage of leaving the Imperial Capital to successfully rendezvous with the Seventh Legion in the southwest district, and the two legions were stationed directly outside the Imperial Capital.

Except for the First Corps inside the Imperial Capital and the Ninth Corps led by Ji Cheying, the remaining nine corps were far from the Imperial Capital, and the Fourth Corps and the Eighth Corps under Marshal Ji were stationed on the road to the Imperial Capital.

It was obvious that they wanted to empty the Imperial Capital.

The students in the First Imperial Military Academy had always been more concerned about the movements of the military department, and saw this situation and talked about it.

“What’s going on?”

“What is Marshal Ji trying to do?”

Since the last mechanical competition, Ding Fei and Lilith had become close friends, the two were now preparing to go to the materials room, hearing the conversation of the people next to them, Ding Fei frowned, after walking away, she looked sideways at Lilith next to her and asked, “Do you know what’s going on?”

Lilith was a nobleman and must have more inside information.

“Is this Marshal Ji trying to force the palace?”

Lilith anxiously tried to stop Ding Fei, but she couldn’t catch her breath because she was in too much of a hurry and could only cough.

Ding Fei hurriedly stopped and patted Lilith’s back while saying helplessly, “Your body is too weak.”

Lilith didn’t wait for herself to slow down, she just coughed while grabbing Ding Fei’s hand and said, “Cough, cough, Ding Fei, cough, you, you don’t talk nonsense.”

“???”

Lilith looked at Ding Fei’s innocent look and could only sigh. Yet it was by chance that this thick-skinned person was right. I’m only afraid that Marshal Ji, indeed, was playing with the idea of forcing the palace.

She was really worried about Erica.

By the sixth day, Xie Quan’s legs and eyes had recovered, and he finally waited for Emperor Hea’s summons. In the highest place of the palace—on the moon platform—Xie Quan finally saw his fourth uncle, the man who killed his father.

Emperor Hea was still wearing a wide robe, he liked such loose clothing, so that he did not have any restraint. The Emperor himself was also very well maintained, obviously fifty years old, but the skin was very tight, eyes were not the slightest bit cloudy, there were only some fine lines at the corners of the eyes, but he looked younger than Ji Shanhong.

He sat on the sofa of the golden wood and rattan branches, leaning against the light satin cushions in a leisurely manner, with a slick and elegant flavor.

When Xie Quan came, he slightly raised his eyes, the third prince Saroyan inherited his father’s delicate features, but did not inherit Emperor Hea’s eyebrows, but the eldest daughter Amelia inherited a few points.

He looked at Xie Quan and lightly raised his chin to the chair opposite his own. “Sit down.”

After Xie Quan was seated, he looked at Xie Quan’s face and asked, “Your name is now Xie Quan?”

Xie Quan nodded frankly.

He thought he would be angry when he saw Emperor Hea, after all, this is the man who killed his father, but instead he found himself in an exceptionally calm mood, without hatred or fear. He thought about it carefully and thought it seemed reasonable.

The Great Emperor Hea took a closer look at Xie Quan, and he narrowed his eyes. “You do look very similar to Joan.”

Xie Quan raised his eyebrows and was a bit surprised. “Are you acknowledging my identity?” He thought Emperor Hea would refuse to admit it.

Emperor Hea did not directly answer Xie Quan’s question, he only asked, “I heard that your eyes were injured and only recently recovered.”

“Yes.”

“And now you may see?”

“Hm.”

Emperor Hea smiled. “That’s good.” He said, “This is the highest place in the palace, and the farthest place in the Imperial Capital that you can see, so stand here and look out.”

Xie Quan didn’t know what Emperor Hea intended, but he listened to Emperor Hea’s order and looked out.

There were tall buildings in the Imperial Capital, but the distance you can see from the tall buildings was always limited because they were blocked by other tall buildings or mountains. But here in front was a flat river, as if there was no limit to what you could see, and it could always stretch to the sky.

Xie Quan looked into the distance and suddenly remembered that he had been here before when he was a child.

The great emperor Hea looked at Xie Quan with his side face, and then did not wait for Xie Quan to answer his previous question, but suddenly said, “If you had not disappeared, I have no intention of striking you, just a young son, what do I fear?” He said quietly, “Even now, you are just a puppet in the hands of Ji Shanhong, even if you ascend to the throne, you are still a puppet of those angry betas, the powerful merchants behind the foolish people. Earlier you asked me why I should acknowledge your identity.”

Emperor Hea spoke with a kind of arrogance in his voice that looked out of the world.

“So, why do I not recognize your identity? You are indeed a royal bloodline and deserve to return to the royal family. A puppet is just a puppet, what do I have to fear?” Emperor Hea raised his eyebrows and suddenly remembered something. “Speaking of which, I once even brought you here to play when you were a child.”

Xie Quan turned back to look at Emperor Hea. That was indeed true. He had just recalled that he had been here before, and it was Emperor Hea who had brought him here when he was still a royal son.

Emperor Hea asked, “Do you want to take revenge for your father?”