CHAPTER 103

In the following days, members from the Qin family, the royal family, and the military district dispatched personnel to conduct a comprehensive search in the area where Qin Zhaoci had the accident.

Before long, members of the royal family found a mummified body from space and brought it to the hospital for the Qin family to identify.

Qin Zhongying supported Rao Antong as they entered the morgue to see the unrecognizable corpse. She shook her head. "I can't tell."

"I will arrange for a DNA test." Shan Cong said from the side. After Qin Zhaoci's parents left and Ye Lianyin also walked in, she continued.

During these days, everyone felt as if time was passing slowly, especially Ye Lianyin, who visibly lost weight at an alarming rate.

After observing the body, Ye Lianyin shook her head. "It's not her. The bone structure of the hands is different."

Shan Cong was surprised that Ye Lianyin could tell with just one glance. Before she could say anything, she saw Ye Lianyin's figure sway and collapse.

Standing nearby, Shan Cong swiftly caught her and shouted loudly outside the door, "Someone has fainted! Bring a stretcher and take her to the emergency room!"

Outside the morgue, Qin Zhongying and Rao Antong exchanged a concerned glance. Soon, they saw Shan Cong pushing the unconscious Ye Lianyin out and swiftly moving towards the emergency room.

Qin Zhongying was also worried. Just as her wife had regained consciousness, Ye Lianyin collapsed.

Hastily holding Rao Antong's hand, they waited outside the emergency room.

When Shan Pan arrived, Ye Lianyin had just been wheeled out of the emergency room.

Seeing her sister remove her mask, Shan Pan grabbed her hand and asked, "What happened to Yinyin?"

Glancing at Shan Pan and then turning to look at Qin Zhongying and Rao Antong, who were holding each other, Shan Cong remained silent for a moment before speaking, "Ye Lianyin is pregnant. She's six weeks along."

The three of them exchanged glances, unsure whether to feel happy or sad.

As Ye Lianyin had said, the DNA comparison with the mummy's remains indeed confirmed that it wasn't Qin Zhaoci.

Ye Lianyin remained unconscious until the next morning. When she woke up, her hand was being held by Shan Pan, and she had an IV drip hanging, not just for fluids, but also nutrients, flowing into her body through the tube.

Shan Pan sensed her movement and woke up from her slumber, looking at her. "Yinyin, you're awake."

"Mmm," Ye Lianyin nodded. "Did they get the results of the DNA test on the corpse?"

Shan Pan nodded. "Yes, they did. It's not her."

"Mmm," Ye Lianyin closed her eyes. "What  kind of injection is the doctor giving me?"

Shan Pan raised her hand and tidied Ye Lianyin's hair. "It's a nutrition injection. You were fainting due to malnutrition."

"Mmm," Ye Lianyin nodded without asking further.

Seeing her silent demeanor, Shan Pan felt as if she had seen the old Ye Lianyin again. Panic surged within her, and she made up her mind, speaking directly, "You're pregnant, do you know?"

There was no surprise on Ye Lianyin's face. After a moment of silence, she pursed her lips and said, "I suspected as much when I didn't have my estrous cycle."

Shan Pan's expression became complicated. "This child..."

"I want to keep it." Ye Lianyin knew what Shan Pan was about to say. "Please, I'm begging you."

Shan Pan grew anxious. "But you will die. Without a partner's pheromones, you might not make it to the late stage of pregnancy and could die due to pheromonal imbalance."

Ye Lianyin closed her eyes. "I know, but without Qin Zhaoci, I can't go on. I'm sorry."

Shan Pan looked at Ye Lianyin, completely devoid of hope. She bit her lip, tears streaming down her cheeks, opened her mouth, but didn't say anything.

A month passed quickly. During this month, the Qin family, the royal family, and the military constantly received news of finding different corpses.

Qin Zhongying and Rao Antong experienced a continuous cycle of hope and despair. Everyone understood that as time went by, the hope of finding Qin Zhaoci was gradually diminishing.

Even if they were to find her, a person cannot survive without water and food for a month.

But even though everyone knew this, no one wanted to give up.

Ye Lianyin, deprived of the soothing effects of pheromones, had a difficult time during the early stages of pregnancy. She was devoid of energy, and her physical appearance had become emaciated. Qin Zhongying and Rao Antong didn't want to disturb her, so they didn't inform her of the news.

Ye Lianyin also didn't actively inquire. She simply waited quietly.

"Major, we've been searching for so long. It's unlikely we'll find her." a soldier operated the spacecraft, feeling exhausted. They had been tirelessly searching for a month, but besides countless unidentifiable corpses, they found nothing.

Wan Baiyun maintained a cold expression and didn't respond. She gazed at the space search display screen and said, "Keep searching."

"But..." the soldier wanted to say something but suddenly saw a faint red dot on the display screen.

"There seems to be a weak electromagnetic wave signal belonging to the optical brain here." The soldier quickly pressed a few buttons and swiftly reported to Wan Baiyun behind her.

"Quick, release the spacecraft. I'll go investigate." Wan Baiyun put on her gear and quickly boarded the spacecraft, heading towards the destination indicated by the soldier's signal.

.....

When Qin Zhaoci woke up again, she found herself lying in the viscous repair fluid once more.

Feeling this sensation, Qin Zhaoci felt a bit bewildered, as if she had returned to the first day.

"The patient is awake, the patient is awake."

The urgent alarm sounded, followed by the sound of someone entering the room.

Apart from the doctor, Qin Zhaoci, through the glass, also saw Ye Lianyin looking at her with a worried expression on her face.

"Yinyin," Qin Zhaoci softly called out, "Why have you lost so much weight?"

Ye Lianyin looked at the translated words on the display next to her and pressed her hand against the glass of the repair chamber, her eyes turning red.

After asking this question, Qin Zhaoci unconsciously closed her eyes. When she woke up again, she was lying on a hospital bed, with Ye Lianyin tightly holding her right hand.

"Yinyin." Qin Zhaoci's fractured bones had completely healed under the repair fluid's treatment over the week, but her body still felt weak. 

Upon hearing the voice, Ye Lianyin lifted her head, gazing at the figure of Qin Zhaoci in front of her. She quickly bent down and embraced her, pressing her ear against Qin Zhaoci's chest, listening to her beating heart. Only then did her anxious heart finally begin to settle.

"Why have you become so thin? Have you not been eating properly this month?" Qin Zhaoci stroked Ye Lianyin's hair, her tone carrying a hint of blame. "It breaks my heart to see you like this."

Ye Lianyin lifted her head and shook it while tears streamed down her cheeks.

It was the first time Qin Zhaoci had seen Ye Lianyin cry like this, and she was frightened. She quickly raised her hand to wipe away her tears, sitting up and embracing her, gently patting her back. "I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm still alive, don't worry, don't worry."

"Mm," Ye Lianyin nodded with a choked voice, unable to control her crying. "You're fine, you're okay."

Standing outside the hospital room, Qin Zhongying and Rao Antong watched the two children tightly embracing each other after their reunion, and their eyes became teary as well.

After crying, Qin Zhaoci shifted slightly to the side, allowing Ye Lianyin to lie beside her and embraced her in her arms.

Ye Lianyin inhaled the familiar scent of Qin Zhaoci's pheromones, the scent of fresh citrus, and nuzzled her nose against Qin Zhaoci's gland.

As an omega marked for life, Ye Lianyin needed the occasional soothing of pheromones from her partner.

Qin Zhaoci nodded and slowly released her own pheromones, intending to comfort Ye Lianyin.

But to her surprise, Ye Lianyin asked, "Are you still feeling uncomfortable?"

Qin Zhaoci shook her head. "No, I'm fine. The repair fluid has completely healed me."

"Okay, then don't move." Ye Lianyin said as she opened her mouth, revealing her fangs, and forcefully bit into Qin Zhaoci's gland.

Qin Zhaoci felt her already weak body losing even more strength, but she didn't forget to use her hand to protect Ye Lianyin's waist, afraid that she might fall off the hospital bed.

This time, instead of injecting her own pheromones as she did before to help Qin Zhaoci through her vulnerable period, Ye Lianyin began to absorb Qin Zhaoci's pheromones.

The hospital room quickly filled with the rich scent of green citrus and lemon.

She held on for a full ten minutes before finally letting go.

Considering that Qin Zhaoci had just regained consciousness and her glands were somewhat fragile, Ye Lianyin didn't take too much.

With the help of her partner's pheromones, Ye Lianyin's complexion improved significantly. During the week when Qin Zhaoci was unconscious, the doctors had also extracted her pheromones through injections and administered them to Ye Lianyin. However, the amount extracted was limited because Qin Zhaoci's body had not fully recovered.

As an S-class omega, Ye Lianyin was allowed to directly bite Qin Zhaoci to absorb her pheromones as soon as she came out of the repair chamber, as it would be faster.

After releasing her grip on Qin Zhaoci's gland, Ye Lianyin looked at the small reddened gland on her neck and took out a blocking patch from her pocket. She tore it open and carefully applied it to Qin Zhaoci.

"Can I continue biting like this?" Qin Zhaoci hugged Ye Lianyin's waist and nuzzled her cheek against Ye Lianyin's face.

Ye Lianyin nodded, holding Qin Zhaoci tightly. She closed her eyes wearily and said, "I want to sleep for a while."

"Okay." Qin Zhaoci looked into Ye Lianyin's dark eyes and gently touched her face, pulling her closer into her embrace.

"How is Xiaoci's condition now?" Qin Zhongying, accompanied by Rao Antong, arrived at Shan Cong's office.

Shan Cong accessed Qin Zhaoci's medical records and began to speak, "The repair fluid has completely healed her fractured ribs, legs, and arms. She's quite fortunate that none of her internal organs were punctured."

"That protective shield truly saved her life. It was the impact wave from the explosion that caused the fractures."

"But it's strange how she managed to survive for a month without food or water. And inside the protective shield, there was no trace of her waste. When she was brought to the hospital, her vital signs were stable. It's truly a mystery."

Qin Zhongying and Rao Antong were only focused on the fact that their daughter had survived, without considering how she managed to endure that month.

Rao Antong shook her head and said, "The fact that she came back alive is already our good fortune. There's no need to delve deeper into other details."

Shan Cong nodded, "Yes, you're right."

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