Chapter 81 I'm not dead yet: What's there to be afraid of?

As graduation approached, Qi Qianqian thought that the second major event she would face in the future would be her graduation ceremony.

The first thing was attending Tan Yicheng's accelerated graduation ceremony, where I got a sneak peek at what a graduation certificate actually looks like.

That year, after Tan Yicheng returned from her training in the desolate planet, a major general from the military presented her with an award and extended an olive branch to her. After enduring it for a year, he quickly recruited Tan Yicheng for an internship in the military.

Fortunately, Tan Yicheng is quite capable, and although he is still young, it is not too difficult for him.

Whether it was a misperception or not, she gave Qi Qianqian the feeling of returning to her happy hometown, and she quickly adapted to the environment there.

They were even freer than when they were in school, and settled down off campus. Occasionally, the three of them would get together on weekends, and their relationship was not much worse than before.

However, Qi Qianqian was wrong. The second big event was still related to Tan Yicheng. She got married, and even the invitation was sent to her.

To be frank, at that moment, Qi Qianqian thought that the people standing next to her were not her classmates, but a pack of hungry wolves with green eyes.

That was an invitation to the wedding of a woman with a star and another rising star in the military—a rare and coveted invitation, something many people would love to receive.

Those are all connections; people from the business world and the military are all there, and there might even be people from the political world attending.

It was delivered to my classmate so easily, how could I not be envious?

Qi Qianqian and Xiang Wei looked at the invitation for a long time, then sighed and put it away together.

The relationship that she once didn't think would last, that she thought would be as brilliant as fireworks in the sky and then quickly fade away, actually came to fruition and led to marriage.

There's nothing wrong with it, it's just that the air around me suddenly feels acidic, which is really strange.

There wasn't a single alpha in the class with lemon-scented pheromones; the only alpha with fruit-scented pheromones was already off-campus.

The imaginative Qi Qianqian began to believe that the first element to becoming an S-level alpha was fruit-scented pheromones, sweet and sour, with a thick outer layer of fruit peel, a natural barrier.

Her cedarwood-scented pheromones are quite common; according to statistics, she's probably bumped into her classmates at least ten or eight times.

The taste will definitely differ, but the category is the same; the strength may vary depending on the grade.

Qi Qianqian lamented, "It's because I didn't make good use of my mothers' excellent genes and chose the cedar flavor."

Xiang Wei, the rum pheromone: "..."

*

Time waits for no one, flowing eternally forward, for better or for worse, surging forward like a torrent, unstoppable.

Humans are highly adaptable. They are used to complaining about not being able to adapt while adapting and doing a good job. Then amnesia strikes, and they forget what suffering they actually endured.

It only took Qi Qianqian three months to go from being used to having Tan Yicheng as a backer and slacking off behind the scenes to completely becoming a "socialite" with Tan Yicheng as a backer.

They were 300 years ahead in mental state than the first ancestors of the ancient Earth era who "emerged from the Earth".

The first humans to "emerge from the sphere" spent three hundred years exploring and laying the foundation for the federation we have today. They studied pheromones, established hierarchies, and redeveloped human culture.

They took a longer route along the way—the White Tower was built for better genes and a new society, as the vast universe needed a larger population to build it together.

Therefore, new regulations were issued, placing weak omegas with high fertility rates together for a lottery to choose their spouses, with marriage limited to "selective marriage" between AOs. These 231 years were known as the White Wedding Era.

However, a quick look back at the history reveals that this measure did not significantly increase the birth rate; on the contrary, it decreased year by year. The empire, with its clever words and flattery, deceived everyone.

Besides the birth rate, the space pirates who are now considered a major threat by the Federation were also composed of the first group of defecting space people.

The empire's oppression did not distinguish between ABO; it divided everyone into classes indiscriminately, attempting to treat omegas as breeding machines and betas as worker ants, distinguishing status by rank and restricting activity areas by gender.

In the imperial era, betas and omegas had no freedom, let alone politics or business. Classes were fixed, and if an alpha was of a higher rank, they might get a share of the spoils. They either had to humble themselves and serve as dogs for the top people in the empire, or they would rebel and overthrow the chessboard if they couldn't stand it anymore.

Otherwise, even lower-ranking alphas can be nourishment for building a new world.

Despite several failed rebellions, the chessboard remained as stable as Mount Tai. Instead of learning from the pain and becoming completely subdued, the people of the planet grew increasingly rebellious and gradually developed into a powerful force.

They were also known as the "Wild Dog Star Pirates" ridiculed by the Empire.

If we could turn back time, the space pirates of that era championed barbarity and freedom, took in many star people who had suffered oppression from the empire, formed their own faction, and their actions could be described as those of righteous pirates.

Later, the empire collapsed, the White Tower was demolished, and the righteous bandits who longed for peace returned. The First Academy was built on the top of the collapsed palace, where the first batch of students were born, and it has continued to develop into the "cradle of military affairs" it is today.

The current space pirates are just a front; they are actually a haven for thugs, hooligans, murderers, robbers, and other serious criminals.

Xi Congshuang stood on her balcony, looked up and saw the white spire of the First Academy.

That white pagoda was more than a hundred times smaller than the real white pagoda. Its main function was to ring the bell on commemorative days and to collect ancient books. Rather than serving any practical purpose, it was more like a silent warning to future generations.

She heard the sound of a door opening behind her and turned around to see Tan Yicheng, who had changed into casual clothes, coming out of the door.

Seeing Xi Congshuang standing on the balcony getting some fresh air, he stepped over the table piled with documents waiting to be processed, walked out of the balcony door and approached her: "I'm going out."

It's the weekend, and since everyone's free, Qi Qianqian and her friends decided to go out and get together.

As for the fact that it was called a final bachelor party or something, I won't go into details.

Xi Congshuang turned around and raised her hand without saying a word. Tan Yicheng took the opportunity to slip inside, wrapped his arms around her lower back, and kissed her on the lips.

"Pop".

Tan Yicheng licked his lips, wondering if she had eaten candy, because it tasted a little sweet, so he looked up and kissed her again.

"Kiss." Tan Yicheng asked, "It's a rare weekend, so I'm keeping you at home."

Xi Congshuang said helplessly, "Yes, I'm all alone in this empty house, waiting for you to come home and take pity on my lonely and miserable state."

"..." Tan Yicheng couldn't help but smile and lower his head. "Then will you pick me up when I go home?"

This time, Xi Congshuang agreed quickly: "Okay."

Tan Yicheng stepped back slightly: "Then I'll leave?"

After a few seconds, Xi Congshuang relaxed her strength a little and said, "Okay."

Recently, Xi Congshuang set up her office in the Central Star, ostensibly to personally oversee the business expansion, but everyone knows she stayed there for her girlfriend.

Moving offices was very busy, and she didn't have any free time on weekends. Only Tan Yicheng came over, which made things much easier for her.

These were Qi Qianqian's thoughts after finally waiting for someone to arrive, and then she wondered why she thought that way.

To be frank, Xi Congshuang never restricted Tan Yicheng's social interactions, nor did she interfere with small gatherings among friends, and she rarely came to visit.

I don't know why, but her presence is often very strong, as if she will definitely appear wherever Tan Yicheng appears.

"..."

What a joke! They are all successful women in their own careers, not anyone's accessory.

The person who thought this way took a sip of wine and shook his head. Qi Qianqian had many opportunities to meet Xi Congshuang, and each meeting reinforced her impression that Xi Congshuang was no ordinary person.

She's clearly very beautiful, but I always overlook her face and am more wary of her methods.

Normally, she would be the type of person her congresswoman mother told her to run away as soon as she sees someone.

"Actually, I've always been curious about how you and President Xi got together?"

Qi Qianqian thought she had accidentally spoken her true feelings, but when she looked up, she saw that the person who had spoken was Xiang Wei, who looked very serious.

If you ignore her question, her expression is as if she's studying some classic battle and can't understand how humanity managed to accomplish such a momentous event.

Tan Yicheng looked up, her face flushed, and exclaimed, "Huh?"

The two of them: "?!"

Drunk? You're drunk already?

They went to a quiet bar with booths spaced far apart, dim lighting, and a guitarist playing and singing on stage.

The music was gentle, and the singing was deep and soothing. It was not disturbing, but rather a breath of fresh air in the quiet, making the atmosphere a little more lively.

The two people in the booth felt like they were going to die as they listened to the music.

Nobody told them Tan Yicheng was a lightweight! And this was a sweet cocktail! How could she get drunk on this?!

For some reason, when the two looked at the slightly tipsy Tan Yicheng, their first thought was—"A great opportunity!"

Qi Qianqian put down the bag she was holding, her smile widening: "Chengzi, Chengzi, tell me, how did you..."

Who wouldn't be curious? Two seemingly unrelated people suddenly make an official announcement, as if you missed a few episodes and suddenly it's the finale.

They have an incredibly good relationship and haven't had a single argument in over a year.

Looking back on the first time Qi Qianqian met Xi Congshuang at the school clinic, the atmosphere between them gave her the feeling of a broken mirror being mended.

Tan Yicheng didn't hear the question. She thought the other person was babbling something, and her slow-witted mind only managed to extract the keyword "President Xi".

This word was like a switch; she began to worry about her poor alcohol tolerance, saying that she always got drunk after just one drink at banquets and had to be taken care of by Xi Congshuang when she got home, which forced her to work two jobs.

As she spoke, she began to count the number of times on her fingers.

But when you're drunk, everything looks double. Her eyes were dizzy, and she couldn't count accurately no matter how long she tried. She just kept repeating "123".

"Wait, how come I have ten fingers on one hand? Let's try again, 1, 2..."

The two were completely numb to these complaints; everything they drank tasted sour.

If I didn't know that Tan Yicheng got drunk unintentionally, I would have thought she came to show off to two single people.

Tan Yicheng then asked, "You can train your body, so can you train your alcohol tolerance too?"

After she finished speaking, before the two could react, she grabbed the wine glass on the table and drank it all in one gulp, then stared at the wine glass that Xiang Wei hadn't touched.

The two were startled and immediately reached out to grab it.

"Wait, this drink is very strong!"

"Ahhh, help! What are we going to tell President Xi later? Please don't drink it, I'm scared!"

Who knew that neither of the two alphas could compete with Tan Yicheng, and they could only watch helplessly as she downed Xiang Weidian's strong liquor in one gulp.

"..."

The two looked at each other, their faces gradually turning ashen.

Qi Qianqian said quietly, "They're both alphas, so why is she so strong?"

Xiang Wei looked up to the sky and sighed, "Oh, the universe—"

Tan Yicheng boldly put down his empty wine glass, let out a burp, and then curled up on the sofa in a daze.

That's one of her good points; when she's drunk, she doesn't cry or make a fuss, she just stares blankly at people, neither crying nor laughing.

Upon seeing this, the two suddenly realized that they could understand Xi Congshuang's mindset.

You can manipulate top-tier Alphas in StarCraft at will; aside from anything else, the sense of accomplishment is definitely off the charts.

"What do we do now?"

"Let's find some hangover medicine. It's not good to send someone back drunk after all the trouble we went to get them out of the house."

Just as the two were trying to find some hangover medicine to help Tan Yicheng sober up, the person who was in a daze suddenly sat up like a charged electric toy, startling them.

"It's over." Tan Yicheng uttered the clearest sentence he had uttered all night.

Qi Qianqian: "What's wrong? What happened?"

Tan Yicheng said nervously, "It's time, I should go home."

Xiang Wei is a pragmatist. She subconsciously checked the time on the smart device: "It's still early, it's only evening."

Tan Yicheng: "I have something to tell my wife, it concerns our future."

"..."

What could be causing such a stir in the future?

The two of them wished their ears would die immediately.

This is the first time in my life I've encountered a piece of gossip I absolutely don't want to hear about.

The thing that made them want to die even more happened. Tan Yicheng pushed away the hangover medicine and dialed the AI. She was too fast for the two of them to stop her.

Then a voice asked, "What's wrong, baby?" and the two realized that they had once again wasted their efforts.

Looking down, I saw the couple making and receiving calls in a flash.

Xi Congshuang, sitting in front of her large desk, was staring at three people entangled together, their limbs overlapping like a ball of yarn, resembling some kind of chaotic battle.

"..."

Xi Congshuang blinked behind her frameless glasses, her gaze shifting from Tan Yicheng's flushed face to two hands reaching out to the virtual screen, attempting to sever the connection. Her gaze was like an invisible electric current, startling both of them, and they abruptly withdrew their hands.

This situation is as obvious as it seems, and it only makes things more obvious.

Tan Yicheng, who was surrounded by people, had bright eyes: "I want to go home. Come and pick me up."

Xi Congshuang took off her decorative glasses, placed her hand on the table, and stood up: "Okay, give me the address, I'll be there right away."

A drunkard who is not in his right mind cannot send messages, so this was obviously meant for the two of them. Feeling guilty for causing trouble, the two sent their address with their heads hanging low.

No matter how much she didn't want to face it, the time had come to return the person to her. Xi Congshuang arrived at the scene in less than five minutes.

She came directly from the company, still wearing her formal attire. Her outfit seemed out of place in the relaxed atmosphere of the bar, instantly attracting a lot of attention.

Tan Yicheng, who had been acting strangely for a few minutes and had returned to a quiet, dazed state, suddenly became energetic again. He entered the booth where the three of them were sitting.

I don't know what's burning, but it's on fire anyway.

"Someone is coming."

Tan Yicheng's ears twitched, and even from four or five steps away, he managed to pick out the barely perceptible footsteps mixed with the singing and bartending, and identified them as Xi Congshuang's footsteps.

Tan Yicheng turned around and opened her arms: "I'm here."

Before Xi Congshuang even got close, she reached out her hand and was pulled to her side. She then pressed her hand against her face to cool it down.

It's quiet again.

Xi Congshuang said, "The temperature is a bit high. How many cups did she drink?"

Just as they were struggling to figure out how to explain, Xi Congshuang arrived so quickly that they hadn't had time to come up with a good reason. The two of them stood up at the same time and scratched their faces.

Look at the mess this has made.

Qi Qianqian held up two fingers and shyly made a peace sign.

Xi Congshuang understood: "She can't hold her liquor. She gets drunk after one glass and falls asleep after three. I'll take her home today, and we can get together again next time."

Given the situation, there was nothing they could do by keeping the person there. The two were more than happy to accept this, so they personally saw the person off at the door and then went home.

Tan Yicheng stood up with Xi Congshuang's help and was led outside.

As she walked through the bar lobby and down the dimly lit corridor, the quiet surroundings and the effects of the alcohol in her system gave her an impulse.

The dim darkness seemed to give her a bit of courage, because she couldn't see the expressions on the faces of the people around her.

Tan Yicheng's first words were: "Wife, I'm hiding something from you."

The two people behind them wished their ears would die immediately and wanted to manually close them.

It's here, it's finally here, the honesty that could affect our future marriage.

Some gossip is harmless to eat, while some gossip can really kill you!

But I can't just abandon my friends. If something happens, someone can try to mediate.

Xi Congshuang remained calm: "What is it?"

"Is it because work is too stressful that I accidentally ate a small cake instead of a meal, which caused my weight to be overweight? I exercise for two hours every day after get off work and fall asleep the moment I hit the bed, but I refuse to admit it. I also recorded that the dishes I like to eat are low-oil, low-salt, and low-fat meals, but once it's time to eat, I keep piling food into my bowl, and I still refuse to admit it?"

"..." Tan Yicheng shook their clasped hands angrily, "Not this one."

Xi Congshuang was very patient: "What is that?"

The initial tension had long been worn away by Xi Congshuang's witty banter, leaving only a sliver of it.

It must be said that Xi Congshuang is sometimes quite good at comforting people.

Tan Yicheng lowered her eyes, silently tightened her grip on their hands, and said, "Before, the person I was chatting with, 'orange,' was me. It was all a persona I created. I lied to you about everything. Back then, I was gathering all the information to find your house, and my purpose was... you."

The two people behind him stopped abruptly and turned to each other at the same time. Because they moved so fast, they twisted their necks and screamed silently while pressing the back of their necks.

It hurts, it hurts so much!

But no amount of pain could stop their urgent desire to communicate. Unable to speak, they looked at each other and exchanged glances.

Did I hear that right? Really, did I hear that right?

The word Orange just vaguely used was "kill," right?

Xiang Wei clutched his neck and blinked heavily.

This is confusing. Two pairs of eyes slowly turned to the people in front of them. Are the couple in love or not?

Xi Congshuang's reaction surprised everyone: "Yes, I know."

Tan Yicheng was shocked, and his drunkenness subsided considerably: "You knew? How did you know?"

Xi Congshuang: "From the moment you came to my door, I knew it. Later, I was wondering why you deleted me."

She then appeared in front of Tan Yicheng herself.

Tan Yicheng was dumbfounded and completely stunned.

She thought she would never know her secret if she kept it to herself, but it turned out that Xi Congshuang already knew about it and even chased her to the school.

Tan Yicheng stammered, "Since...since you knew, why did you still...?"

Shouldn't we get away from the source of danger immediately?

Now she's planning to marry a dangerous person—what kind of life is this, living on the edge of a knife?

Tan Yicheng voiced what the other two were thinking: "Aren't you afraid?"

That's your spouse, aren't you afraid this will happen a second time?

Xi Congshuang comforted him, "What are you afraid of? I'm not dead yet, am I?"

"..."

At this moment, Tan Yicheng and others shared a subtle understanding with Red Apple, but they couldn't find a more accurate word to describe it. They all stared blankly at Xi Congshuang, who seemed indifferent.

That line should be—"No wonder she's a woman I'd love even unto death."

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