Who understands? The aloof female ruler always flirts without even realizing it.

After Miller finished speaking, he felt as if his soul had been lifted into his throat, and his body trembled with excitement.

His fair cheeks were like the most intense glow of the evening sun. He tilted his head back, his pink crystal eyes fixed on Locke.

His anticipation and cautious pleading made him look like a cat exposing its softest belly, yet afraid of rejection.

He was startled when he saw that the female soldier was just silently looking down at him, her bright golden eyes like a bottomless, cold pool, without any ripples.

She couldn't help but take another small step forward, her voice trembling noticeably as she added urgently, as if afraid that a second's delay would mean losing the opportunity:

"I... I didn't mean anything by it... I just... I just wanted to get to know you..."

Miller is a very cheerful and talkative male insect, but at this moment he is only flustered and embarrassed in front of the other party.

However, his clumsy attempts to make friends, characteristic of a young insect, did not elicit the response he had imagined, but rather a sudden and chilling cold wave.

"Want to get to know...me?"

Locke repeated the four words over and over, his voice low and slow, yet like a blade chilled by ice, each syllable carrying a chilling cold that would make even insects shiver.

The calm expression on his face vanished instantly, replaced by an almost cruel disgust.

His eyes seemed shrouded in shadows from the abyss, sharp enough to pierce the soul, churning with pain and rejection that Miller could not comprehend at all.

The fragments of memory that had been forcibly sealed in Locke's mind, like ferocious beasts breaking free of their cages, roared and tore apart his reason.

My consciousness seemed to return to that day at Lanjing Palace.

Nausea.

Sticky.

pain.

Dirty.

All of this made him deeply wary and physiologically averse to male advances.

In his eyes, this seemingly innocent and handsome young male was no different from those hypocritical insects; he was simply another form of hunting and playing with them.

"Oh."

A sarcastic laugh escaped Locke's throat.

The volume is not high.

But it struck your heart like a heavy hammer.

The low pressure emanating from the female soldier was almost tangible, making the surrounding air thinner.

He didn't even bother to waste any more expressions, simply scrutinizing the other person from top to bottom with his cold golden eyes, the aloofness and warning in his gaze sharp enough to cut the skin.

"Get lost."

The two-word rejection was brief, abrupt, and left no room for negotiation. It was like two cold pebbles thrown into a lake, failing to even stir a ripple of pity.

Before he finished speaking, Locke had already turned around resolutely, his long silver hair drawing a cold arc in the air.

Miller froze completely, as if the blood in his body had frozen in that instant.

That imagined bucket of ice water not only soaked his body, but was also like a blunt knife, repeatedly cutting into his budding heart.

He stood there dumbfounded, watching the other person walk away without a second glance.

The once brilliant light dimmed and shattered rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye, eventually being replaced by unbelievable injury and bewilderment.

Having been pampered by his father and brothers all his life, he had never experienced such an undisguised and almost humiliating rejection.

A strong soreness welled up in his nose, his eyes instantly reddened, and his vision blurred, but he still stubbornly stared in that direction, as if trying to etch that cold figure into his soul.

Meanwhile, Shen Yan, who was preparing to escort Kalander onto the hovercar to go home, happened to witness this scene.

He understood in his heart and sighed inwardly.

Of all people to like, this little thing had to fall for Locke; it's probably going to run into trouble.

But he had no time to think about anything else. He simply held his wife tighter in his arms, and surrounded by the medical team, he quickly boarded the hovercar and sped away.

In the chaotic scene, the clamor of the investigation seemed to fade into the background noise.

Miller stood alone, like an abandoned, exquisite statue.

A gentle breeze ruffled his disheveled hair, but it couldn't dispel the heavy sense of loss and sorrow that permeated his being.

Gazing at Locke's retreating figure, which never turned back, her eyes reddened, and tears finally welled up, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

His heart ached and swelled, filled with unspeakable grievances, and a stubbornness that even he himself did not understand.

……

The hovercar landed smoothly in the villa's courtyard, where the family doctor and nursing team, who had already been notified, immediately came to greet it.

Shen Yan held Karandel's hand tightly the whole way until he had settled his partner on the large bed in the bedroom covered with a soft rug, where the doctor would conduct a more detailed examination.

"I was frightened and had significant emotional fluctuations, which triggered uterine contractions, but they have now subsided after taking medication."

"The fetal heart rate is stable. You must rest in bed for the next week and avoid any emotional excitement. Close monitoring is required."

After a thorough examination, the doctor gave a similar conclusion to the medical team, gave some additional instructions, and then left with the nursing team.

The moment the bedroom door closed gently, only the two of them remained in the room.

All the composure and calmness that Shen Yan had been maintaining vanished instantly, like a punctured balloon.

The bedroom was cozy and soft. Karandel leaned against the soft pillows and rested quietly as advised by the doctor. The dull pain in his abdomen had not completely subsided, but at least he felt at ease.

He saw the expression on the lord's face crumble the moment the door closed, his usually calm black eyes now filled with immense fear and lingering dread.

Then, I watched helplessly as the other person staggered to the bedside and, without warning, knelt straight down on the carpet with a thud.

His tall frame hunched over, and his shoulders trembled uncontrollably.

The female ruler's heart clenched suddenly, and she instinctively reached out to help.

Shen Yan reached out first, her icy palm firmly enveloping his fingers.

"I'm sorry... Lanlan... I'm so sorry..."

His voice was terribly hoarse, thick with nasal congestion and sobs. He tilted his head back, and tears rolled down his reddened eyes without any obstruction.

Drop after drop, they fell heavily onto the clasped hands of the two insects, and also onto Kalandall's heart.

"It's all my fault... I shouldn't have suggested going for a walk... Knowing these are extraordinary times, how could I... How could I let you take such a risk..."

His gaze was fixed on his partner, filled with pain and deep self-reproach:

"If I had been just a little slower... if I hadn't blocked it... I almost... I almost..."

The image of the out-of-control hovercar hurtling towards him, and Karandal's terrified, pale face, replayed repeatedly in his conscious mind like a nightmare.

He knelt before his wife like a child who had done something wrong, repeating the words over and over:

"I'm sorry...wife...I'm so sorry..."

The female ruler felt an overwhelming pang of heartache seeing him with tears streaming down his face.

With the hand that wasn't being held, she gently stroked the boy's wet cheek, her fingertips softly wiping away his tears.

His gaze was firm yet gentle.

"A mighty ruler."

His voice, though still weak, was exceptionally clear: "It's not your fault."

"From the moment we decided to vie for the throne, all the hidden dangers were inevitable."

"It's only a matter of time..."

"Look, aren't my baby and I doing just fine now? You protected us, you did a great job."

Looking into his eyes, which were filled with heartache and affirmation, and feeling the real warmth of his palm, Shen Yan felt a slight easing of the tension in her heart, but her emotions surged like a bursting dam, and her tears flowed even more fiercely.

He got up, buried his face deep in the crook of Kalandel's neck, greedily inhaling her comforting breath, and called out softly, over and over again:

"Wife... Lanlan..."

"Yes, I'm here."

Karandal could clearly feel the dampness on his neck, and he gently patted his lord's back:

"It's alright, it's all over now, don't be afraid."