Chapter 141

Chapter 141: Other People Lay One Dragon Egg; She Laid Five Cubs, and Two Were About to Die

Sui Xuan Chu’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

He’d witnessed his uncle’s proposal.

Now he’d witnessed his uncle’s confession.

Oh no. Oh no. Shut up, idiot. Don’t make a sound. Don’t clap. Don’t cheer.

Jiang Tea Tea had only asked offhand. She hadn’t expected an actual answer. She forced a dry laugh. “Thanks for liking me. I’m good-looking and my abilities are strong. I like myself too.”

Whether he liked her had nothing to do with her.

There was no way she was registering a marriage with him.

Chong Ming blinked and finally looked away. “Think about my proposal.”

Jiang Tea Tea flashed eight teeth in a smile bright as a knife. Her rejection was just as clean. “No. Thanks for liking me. And here’s a suggestion—don’t like me. You won’t get anything out of it.”

Chong Ming watched her smile. “Is that so?”

“Of course.” Jiang Tea Tea’s voice was firm enough to nail it to the floor.

Jiang Tea Tea really was something else.

Rejecting the proposal was one thing. Rejecting the confession, too? If that ever got out, the people of the Zhen Lin Empire could drown her with spit.

Their flyer slid into the Imperial Palace.

The sprawling palace was blazing with lights—part high-tech, part retro—with towering trees that had stood for hundreds, even thousands, of years.

The moment Jiang Tea Tea stepped off, she felt the imperial family’s wealth and authority hit her head-on. Luxury. Splendor. Power.

The stone beneath her feet, the flowers and plants along the path—everything screamed expensive and beautiful. Even the lights and the guards looked like they cost money.

In a sci-fi age, that kind of grandeur carried an extra edge. Like the world was in their palm, and defying them meant death.

Curious, Jiang Tea Tea started to ask Sui Xuan Chu, “Roommate, your place is huge. The security system—”

Chong Ming’s low voice cut over hers. “Sui Xuan Chu, go rest. I’ll take her for the exam.”

Sui Xuan Chu blinked. “Imperial Uncle, I’m not tired. I can go with her. I can even say hi to my sister or brother.”

Jiang Tea Tea’s scalp prickled.

Say hi?

To the babies in her belly?

What kind of nonsense was he thinking?

Even Old Loach Chong Ming wasn’t allowed to see her babies.

Jiang Tea Tea refused instantly. “No need. A backstabbing traitor doesn’t get to say hi. Go sleep.”

Sui Xuan Chu planted his feet. “Roommate, I’m their brother.”

“I don’t recognize that,” Jiang Tea Tea said without mercy. “You’re nothing.”

Sui Xuan Chu choked. “You’re going too far.”

Jiang Tea Tea lifted a brow. “And?”

Sui Xuan Chu jabbed a finger at her, fuming. “Fine. You’re amazing. Since you’re pregnant, I’ll let it go.”

“I’m going to rest. If anything happens, call me. I’ll be there within ten minutes.”

Jiang Tea Tea went blank. “If something happens and you take ten minutes, my body would be cold.”

…Fair. The medical wing was far from where he stayed.

Sui Xuan Chu scratched his cheek. “I’ll try for three minutes. Bye.”

His uncle’s stare was terrifying. If he didn’t leave now, he was going to get murdered.

He couldn’t afford to offend either of them.

He fled. Fast.

As soon as Sui Xuan Chu was out of sight, Jiang Tea Tea stomped after Chong Ming and urged him, “Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming, lead the way already.”

Chong Ming looked down at her. “Are you afraid of me?”

Jiang Tea Tea blinked, confused. “What are you talking about?”

Chong Ming repeated himself with unreasonable patience. “You’re afraid of me. Afraid to be alone with me. Afraid I’ll fight you for the cub. Afraid I’ll discover the secret you’re hiding.”

“But you also keep studying me. There’s a faint defiance in your eyes. Like you want to kill me.”

“And when you asked if I liked you, and I answered… you treated it like empty words. You didn’t believe me.”

Jiang Tea Tea stared at him, then shrugged like he’d just stated the obvious. “Yeah. So what?”

Chong Ming actually froze. “Nothing. I just wanted to know why.”

“Figure it out yourself.” Jiang Tea Tea rolled her eyes.

Chong Ming bent down, leaning closer. “Not even a hint?”

Jiang Tea Tea immediately retreated two steps. “Talk is talk. Why are you getting so close?”

Was he… flirting?

Chong Ming’s golden eyes flashed. He straightened and said stiffly, “Come with me.”

“Fine.” Jiang Tea Tea followed behind him, shamelessly admiring the Imperial Palace night view. Beautiful. Rich. So rich.

After about twenty minutes, they reached the Imperial Palace medical wing.

Cheng Lin Yue and Cheng Yuan were already waiting. The moment Cheng Lin Yue saw Jiang Tea Tea, she hurried over. “Sister Tea! You’re here! Do you feel unwell?”

“I’m fine.” Jiang Tea Tea shook her head. “How about you? Were you hurt at school?”

“No, no.” Cheng Lin Yue waved both hands. “I wasn’t hurt. Come—let me introduce you. This is my uncle, Cheng Yuan.”

Cheng Yuan looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight. He was thin, almost fragile, with clear eyes and pale skin. He looked like someone untouched by the world—not like the forty- or fifty-year-old mouse-rabbit beastfolk man who’d spent ten years in the Ability Research Institute.

He reached out first. “Hello. Nice to meet you, Classmate Jiang Tea Tea.”

Jiang Tea Tea shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. You’re younger and better-looking than I imagined.”

Cheng Yuan blinked, clearly caught off guard. “Thank you. You’re good-looking too.”

Chong Ming quietly swept Cheng Yuan from head to toe, his gaze lingering on his face a fraction too long.

Jiang Tea Tea curled her lips. “I know. And I’ll be relying on you tonight.”

“It’s an honor.” Cheng Yuan’s tone was steady. “You’re a good classmate and a good teammate to Cheng Lin Yue. You’re also a 3S-rank mutant plant-type healer. Examining you is my honor.”

Cheng Yuan turned to Chong Ming. “Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming, I reviewed the Imperial Palace equipment earlier. Everything’s in order. I’ll take her upstairs for the exam. Please wait outside.”

Chong Ming nodded once. “I need the most accurate report.”

“Of course.” Cheng Yuan didn’t hesitate. “You trust me, and Classmate Jiang Tea Tea trusts me. I’ll be thorough.”

Chong Ming stepped aside. “Go ahead. I’ll wait.”

Cheng Yuan led Jiang Tea Tea upstairs. Cheng Lin Yue followed behind, stiff and nervous, like a timid kid—scared and unsure of herself.

The moment they entered the exam room, Cheng Lin Yue seemed to switch personalities. She set down multiple signal jammers with lightning speed.

Then she pulled out another detector, scanned the room again, and said, “Sister Tea, Uncle, we’re good.”

Cheng Yuan nodded. “I already checked this room, the next room, and the rooms upstairs.”

“There are no cameras in here. Only the hall on the first floor has cameras, and the corridor and stairwell.”

Cheng Lin Yue blurted, confused, “If there are no cameras, why did you still tell me to put down so many jammers?”

“Better safe than sorry,” Cheng Yuan said.

Cheng Lin Yue thought it over. “Fair. I’ll stand by the door and watch.”

“No need.” Cheng Yuan shook his head. “Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming won’t come up. Go turn on the main machine.”

“Okay.” Cheng Lin Yue hurried off.

Cheng Yuan didn’t guide Jiang Tea Tea to the Imperial Palace machine. Instead, he took a small exam platform out of his storage button and set it up.

“Classmate Jiang Tea Tea, lie here. The data from my machine won’t be stored.”

“After I finish, I’ll use the Imperial Palace machine and manually edit the report.”

He knew her concerns without her saying a single word.

Jiang Tea Tea looked at him. “Why are you helping me?”

Cheng Yuan answered without hesitation. “Because you raised my niece’s ability level. Because you helped her stop being socially anxious. Because you helped her become excellent—and get special training.”

“Because you beat Li Ao and exposed what he did in the Ability Research Institute.”

“Today I came to Capital Planet and recorded testimony. Maybe soon, I can get my hypnosis ability back from Li Ao.”

“I might even be able to apply to put one more shot in him when he’s executed.”

He met her eyes, earnest and steady. “All of it is because of you. Maybe it was effortless for you, but for me, you untied ten years of fear. I owe you.”

“So don’t worry. I’m only examining you. Anything you don’t want others to know, I’ll keep sealed.”

He picked up a tool. “Don’t be nervous. I’ll place this on your belly. It can clearly show the cubs inside.”

“Do it.” Jiang Tea Tea lay back without flinching.

Cheng Yuan placed the tool gently against her belly.

The imaging screen lit up.

And in the next instant, Cheng Yuan saw what was inside her.

Cheng Lin Yue had warned him there was more than one cub. She’d even warned him there were no eggshells.

But he still hadn’t expected this.

It wasn’t just “more than one.”

It was an impossible miracle.

Cheng Yuan sucked in a breath, forcing down his wildly pounding heart. His voice still came out trembling.

“Classmate Jiang Tea Tea… there are five Gold Dragon Clan cubs in your belly. None of them has an eggshell. They’re all in your womb.”

“Based on your month count—just under seven months—they’ve already been incubating inside you.”

“And because they lack the father’s psychic force soothing… all five are small. Two are especially small.”

“If they still don’t get the father’s soothing, the smallest two… might die.”