MMBMGAP CH 28

Chapter 28: Then I Won’t Leave

“Are you free tonight?”

That evening, Lin You received a message from Sade. If he wasn’t on duty, he usually went home in the evening—and as it happened, he was off that night.

“I’m free,” Lin Yuyou replied.

“Great. Then I’ll come find you. Not sure what time exactly, but I’ll try to be early.”

“Okay.”

Since Lin You withdrew from training, the two hadn’t seen each other. They didn’t normally contact each other either, so this was the first time Sade had proactively reached out.

Given that Sade said he’d be a bit late, it was likely to be very late. Lin You knew how busy Sade was lately, so he didn’t take it personally. As usual, after clocking out, he returned home, fed Mimi, and ate a bit of fish himself before drinking a nutrient solution. For Lin You, being able to eat fish on his own already counted as progress.

After clearing the table and taking a shower, he settled into his favorite at-home activity: research. Lately, he had been deeply absorbed in studying how spiritual power can influence cognition and had gone through several academic papers.

Most studies indicated that spiritual manipulation of cognition typically didn’t have adverse side effects on recipients. However, for those with highly sensitive spiritual perception, it could result in symptoms like confusion or memory fog, and wasn’t recommended under normal circumstances.

So the consensus is pretty unified, Lin You thought to himself quietly. Still, this didn’t stop him from testing the theory himself. He discovered he could easily use his spiritual power to interfere with others’ behavior or consciousness. So, he extracted his own pheromones and sent them to the lab for analysis.

The results showed that Lin You’s pheromone properties were extremely dominant—capable of effortlessly infiltrating another’s mental state and integrating seamlessly. In other words, he had a remarkable advantage when using spiritual power to influence others. Those affected by him showed good tolerance and almost no resistance.

So lately, Lin You had been focusing on strengthening this ability. One day, he hoped to use it on the battlefield against the insectoids. But to make that happen, he needed to develop a structured training system for practical application. Before that, he’d have to find a repeatable training pattern, pass the High Priest’s review, and obtain authorization for experimentation, so he could gather capable priests to carry it out with him.

The tactics Lin You was researching inevitably carried some ethical red flags, as they involved potential moral concerns. If too many people learned them, it might pose a problem—so consulting with the High Priest was necessary. Even if his intended enemy was the Zerg, and all his strategies were designed solely for defense, human hearts are unpredictable, and caution was the wiser course.

He became more and more absorbed in writing the proposal. By the time he received a message from Sade, it was already past 9 PM.

“Yuyou, I’m here.”

“Okay, wait a moment.”

Lin You went to open the door. Outside stood Sade, clearly having rushed over, still holding what looked like a box in one hand.

“Yuyou, I missed you so much.” Seeing Lin You, Sade couldn’t help but gently touch his cheek with a cool hand. His coarse fingertips brushed against Lin You’s soft skin, and he let out a sigh—it really had been too long since he’d last seen him.

“Come inside first,” Lin You said, noticing the box in Sade’s arms and quickly stepping aside to let him in.

This was Sade’s first time at Lin You’s home. Lin You had already showered and changed into comfortable loungewear. He hadn’t applied any gland patches, so the house was filled with a faint bitter olive scent.

It was Lin You’s scent. Sade liked it so much… He had to try very hard to suppress the heat surging through him. It had been far too long since he’d touched Lin You, and he had to summon all his willpower to resist the pull of Lin You’s pheromones.

“It’s so late—am I disturbing you?” Sade took a deep breath and calmed himself before asking.

“Not at all. What’s wrong? And… that box?” Lin You subtly examined Sade, noticing that in just a few short weeks, he had changed. Though he still wore his gentle smile, his eyes lacked their usual sparkle—now steadier, more composed.

“It’s what I mentioned before—a gift for Mimi.” Sade opened the box and began pulling out various panels and hemp-wrapped posts—it was a DIY cat tree. Though not as extravagant as the one back at Starlight Manor, once assembled, it took up nearly half a wall. Using his own tools, Sade quickly put the entire thing together in just 20 minutes. Each level was covered in soft short velvet, and the supporting posts were wrapped in coarse hemp rope for scratching. At the very top was a small cradle-like platform that looked extremely cozy—Mimi was bound to love it.

“You really went out of your way,” Lin You said with a laugh. So that was what the special trip was for?

“It’s nothing. I told you before I’d get it, didn’t I?” Sade replied with a smile.

From the moment Sade brought the box in, Mimi had been curious. The little cat watched over the entire assembly process like a supervisor. Once it was done, she circled the towering structure once, then leapt onto it. She immediately claimed it, rubbing her scent on every part before finally curling up in the top cradle, licking her fur contentedly while her tail swayed lazily—completely at ease.

Seeing Mimi so pleased made Sade feel deeply satisfied. Happy kitten, happy big cat—and if the big cat’s happy, then so is he.

“Looks like Mimi really likes it. There’s a bigger one set up at the villa too. Why don’t you bring Mimi over and spend the weekend there at the end of the month?” Sade suggested.

“…Mm.” Lin You thought about how the end of the month was approaching—and that meant he’d soon be spending his heat period with Sade again. His face grew a little warm. In the past, it had felt purely like a routine matter, but now, he was actually starting to feel shy about it.

The two sat and chatted for a while longer—mostly Sade doing the talking. He shared about what he’d been busy with lately and asked how Lin You had been. Before they knew it, the clock was nearing midnight.

“Yuyou, it’s getting late. You should rest.” Sade had trained all day and then attended a strategy meeting at the military headquarters with General Allen that evening. He was quite exhausted by now. What he really wanted was to hold Lin You and fall asleep together, but doing so without being invited felt too forward. Reluctantly, he prepared to take his leave.

Lin You hesitated. He wondered if he should ask Sade to stay—but then again, his bed wasn’t very big, and Sade’s guards were likely still waiting outside. It might be a little inconvenient. But looking at Sade, who clearly looked worn out, Lin You reconsidered, then gently tugged the corner of Sade’s shirt and asked softly:

“Do you want to… stay the night? It’s already so late, but you might have to squeeze in a bit.”

Hearing that, Sade instantly perked up. He looked deep into Lin You’s eyes and said:

“Okay. Then I won’t leave.”

(To be continued…)