Chapter 3105: After Divorce, Forced to Compete with My Ex-Husband 36

By now, Chenshu still felt the same overwhelming shock reaction when he recalled those days: an unbearable, continuous electric shock, as if a red‑hot wire were driven from the base of his spine up to the crown of his head, roasting every nerve over a fire, to the point that even losing consciousness became a luxury.

But now, as his thoughts settled, Chenshu felt the warmth around him. The fire flickered in the hearth, steam rose from the hot tea, the carpet felt soft underfoot, and beside him his young lover's eyes were red‑rimmed, filled with pity and love.

Chenshu gently brushed his fingertips over Jin Chen's eye corners, the pads rubbing the slightly reddened skin. "Xiao Chen, it's because of you… that I managed to escape."

Jin Chen sniffed, his voice still a little nasal, and asked him: "Are the people who hurt you all dead?" His arm slipped around Chenshu's neck, fingertips resting on the back of his neck, slightly tightening.

"They're dead, but… a few slipped through." Chenshu's gaze darkened for a moment. "Tonight, at the hotel, I saw one of them."

Jin Chen opened his mouth, leaning in for a soft, lingering kiss. Their temples brushed, breaths intertwining, more intimate than any deep contact, and Chenshu felt a languid ease, as if smoothed out, curled lightly in Jin Chen's embrace, breathing gently.

Noticing Chenshu's fatigue after laying out the past, Jin Chen coaxed him onto the large soft sofa, pulled a blanket over them both, and rested his chin in the crook of Chenshu's shoulder.

As the controller of this holographic space, Jin Chen dimmed the lights and adjusted the hearth flame to a level suitable for sleep.

The snowscape outside reflected on the glass; amidst the falling snow, he let Chenshu hold him tight, occasionally lowering his head for a kiss, his gentle touch embracing Chenshu's fragility that night. And Chenshu, more aware than ever, realized his Xiao Chen had become someone he could rely on.

Just as Chenshu was about to fall asleep, Jin Chen shut down the holographic space.

Their consciousness returned to the hotel room—dim light, the muffled wind of a rusted‑star night outside, and the warm, real feel of his embrace. He brushed a kiss against Chenshu's brow; even half‑asleep, Chenshu seemed afraid to fully sleep, his brow slightly furrowed, and Jin Chen whispered, "Rest easy, I'm tired too, wife."

Chenshu's brow smoothed, as if hearing the most reassuring words in the world; he drew Jin Chen closer into his embrace, lightly patting his back, his body fully relaxing as he sank into deep sleep.

Jin Chen, however, did not sleep.

He lay awake, eyes open, in Chenshu's arms, listening to his steady breathing. Even though Chenshu had only skimmed over those few months in the Grey Realm with a few words, it was enough for him to imagine how perilous it had been.

And Chi Mo…

Jin Chen closed his eyes, asking 999 in his mind: 【Was Chenshu's imprisonment in the Grey Realm also supposed to be part of the plot?】

999: 【Yes, Operator. In the original, unaltered plot, the Imperial General indeed suffered greatly in the Grey Realm, his dark side awakened, and he received Chi Mo's redemption, thereafter becoming utterly loyal to him.】

Jin Chen smirked darkly. Seeing that events weren't unfolding as in the original plot, Chi Mo arranged all this, letting Chenshu endure torment in the Grey Realm, attempting to appear as a savior who would "rescue" Chenshu from hell, thereby earning his loyalty and affection. Even now, he spares no effort to set things right, unwilling to balk at reopening Chenshu's scars, unwilling to let those pains repeat.

At this moment, Jin Chen's killing intent toward Chi Mo reached an unprecedented height.

After Chenshu fell completely asleep, Jin Chen carefully rose from his embrace, walked to the window and sat down, night wind seeping in through the cracks.

He opened his light‑brain, pulled up the terminal program he'd written a long time ago, and summoned 999 again in his mind.

【I can now be certain that Chi Mo also possesses a higher‑dimensional system. Between you and that system, who's stronger?】

999 fell silent, guilty, then changed the subject: 【Operator, a senior once gave me a special‑permission plug‑in. If I confront that system head‑on, this plug‑in can aid you, but…】

This time Jin Chen truly grasped 999's unfinished thought. 999's arrival here came with many restrictions, plus an inescapable plot‑review mechanism that is wholly biased toward Chi Mo.

He opened another terminal window and had 999 pipe the data stream into it.

999 asked, puzzled: 【What is this?】

Jin Chen spoke calmly: 【The game world I coded perfectly replicates the home star and every location mentioned in the plot. As a higher‑dimensional system, entering this world's instance as a holographic game makes you completely invincible.】

999 was greatly shocked.

It quickly scanned the game world's underlying architecture and found Jin Chen correct. In this closed, self‑consistent holographic world, it is entirely unaffected by the review mechanism and possesses the highest authority.

Seeing the test succeed, Jin Chen lifted his eyes, his voice turning cold: "The next step is to throw the bodily‑dead Chi Mo in."

Let Chi Mo be trapped in the endless loop of the plot world, like the fate‑blessed child he once persecuted, forced to walk through those necessary dark storylines, neither alive nor dead, without end.

A few soft knocks came from below the window.

Jin Chen pushed open the window, looked down, and saw Jeffrey standing in the shadows below, giving him a nod to indicate everything was ready.

Jin Chen closed the window, glanced back at the exhausted, asleep Chenshu on the bed, returned to the bedside, leaned down to kiss Chenshu's forehead, then grabbed his coat, opened the door and stepped out.

Downstairs of the hotel.

Seeing Jin Chen approach, Jeffrey hastily stubbed out his cigarette, tossed it into the corner trash can, and stepped out of the shadows.

Jin Chen: "How's the situation?"

Jeffrey: "After you took your lover upstairs, I left the hotel and have been tailing that very suspicious man."

"He paused at the outpost outside Iron Fort, exchanged a few words with a guard, then looped around to the abandoned mine entrance near Medicine Tower, where he met with several people—appearing organized."

Jin Chen asked: "How many of them are there?"

"I saw at least ten or so; there could be more inside the mine." Jeffrey said, "After that man finished speaking with them, he returned to the vicinity of the hotel, not going elsewhere, so tonight he probably won't come out again."

Jin Chen nodded. "What about Medicine Tower? What does Aurora say?"

"She says Medicine Tower has been unsettled lately. Just the day before you arrived, off‑worlders entered Medicine Tower, and Aurora even took a photo." Jeffrey spoke, pulling a photo from his pocket and handing it to Jin Chen.

Jin Chen's gaze turned cold; he recognized the people in the photo as the diplomatic envoy of the Croft Family, their arrogance matching that of Mai Lun exactly.

Indeed, coming to this planet was intentional.

"Surround the upper floors with people—I want Chi Mo captured alive." Jin Chen clenched the photo, his expression icy.