DS Extra 1

It was still very early.

The White Jade Palace was permeated with a snow-bright and serene morning.

Water droplets rolled from flower branches, birds flew obliquely through tree shadows, and patrolling robots drifted leisurely by, everything was vibrant and radiant.

The room was even more quiet, with curtains half-blocking the sunlight. Ryann Kaios lay horizontally on the bed, loosely embracing his long-sleeping lover.

He lowered his jade-like eyes, with light golden eyelashes curling, and his fingers playfully brushed through Jiang Jianming’s black hair.

After sleeping for more than a year, Jiang’s hair had grown quite a bit.

The Black Shark Base had provided advanced high-tech care for patients, and would trim hair and nails according to preset programs.

The hair growth perhaps resulted from slight deviations in data settings.

Ryann did not dislike it, so he did not adjust the data, and thus it remained. When the commander would wake up, he might want to tie the hair into a braid.

Time would slip away unnoticed.

In the blink of an eye, that heart-stopping great war had become a memory.

One year later, the star cities damaged in the war had completed reconstruction, and the three Silver Big Dipper fortresses and the Imperial Golden Sun Wheel space station were nearly fully repaired.

Ryann had regained consciousness in the third month after the war.

Logically speaking, he had been trapped in the Crystal Nest for years, suffered two Base Body death impacts, and was affected by the crystal particle annihilation cannon fired by the Pangu’s Axe. It did not seem like a situation one could survive.

But Jiang Jianming had shattered the Crystal Nest mother nucleus using the ring fragment attached to his soul, and the extremely pure energy instantly became ownerless, with ninety percent being devoured by this half-human, half-crystal monster without consciousness.

Subsequently, the L-Crown of Golden Dawn mecha arrived, recovering Jiang Jianming into the treatment cabin just minutes before he would have died, and opened the cockpit door to facilitate continued rescue.

This was one of the intelligent programs operated by the intelligence Seth Henry.

In those years, the Black Shark Base had combined Old Dog Seth’s consciousness with the mecha’s smart brain, creating a unique intelligence that truly possessed self-consciousness. Its technical principles were directly inherited from the Base Body plan and mecha consciousness manipulation technology.

Now, with the crystal particle race consciousness dying out, this intelligence dog was also about to bid farewell to humans.

The smart brain stopped running, and in the frozen hibernation cabin, the aged Old Dog Seth could no longer withstand the impact of consciousness return. It peacefully stopped living in its sleep.

Later, Ryann was cultivated within the Black Shark Base.

Yes, cultivated.

From a small piece, to a cluster, to a large cluster.

“Very valuable for research.”

Sylph treasured it, passionately squatting in the base daily to record.

She would even shout through the glass window. “Kaios, can you hear me? Could you respond? Like this, if you can hear me, grow to the left tomorrow…”

A month later, Ryann returned from crystal state to human form. He was clearly very weak, unable to stand steadily, perhaps from forcibly transforming himself into human form at great personal cost.

Everyone knew why.

Ryann’s throat moved, and his iron-like palm suddenly grabbed Sylph’s small arm who was supporting him.

His green eyes were dark and oppressive. He seemed to use all his courage to ask, “…Where is the Commander.”

Sylph calmly said, “Sleeping.”

Lin Ge’s eyes widened: Look and listen, what an art of language!

But Ryann was not easily fooled. “Take me to see him.”

Sylph had no choice but to take him.

Jiang Jianming was indeed sleeping, just not knowing when he would wake up.

“In that moment, he almost single-handedly resisted the entire crystal particle race’s mental power.”

Sylph sighed, “It’s already a miracle that his consciousness did not collapse. Both Your Majesties, please do not be too anxious. Let him rest well.”

Ryann was not anxious, because he had long been accustomed to waiting for Jiang Jianming’s awakening.

Counting from the beginning, the first time was on the Blue Mother Star of the Old Empire, when he rescued the dying human from the wild area and hid him in the official residence for treatment and recuperation.

The second time was during the founding period, when he watched over the commander who might never wake up, suffering in pain and longing.

The third time, Jiang Jianming’s Base Body fell into slumber on the snowy Alpha Alien Star and was sent to the Black Shark Base. His Base Body expedition traveled across the stars, and he could only look at his lover’s face through communication.

Sylph said, “The Commander’s coma is not entirely a bad thing.”

“Even if the crystal disorder completely disappears, his body has already decayed to the point where nothing looks good. He will spend the next half year on the operating table and in the intensive care unit. Being unconscious spares him from suffering.”

This was indeed true. Jiang Jianming had undergone dozens of surgeries. Initially, he was full of tubes and life-support devices, lying lifeless in a high-end treatment cabin. Now he could sleep normally in a hospital bed and could be hugged and kissed.

A few bird chirps passed through the curtains.

Ryann proactively pressed close to Jiang Jianming’s slightly cool body, resting his head on His Majesty’s arm, his pale and thin face leaning on his chest, with that weak breathing having a hypnotic effect.

Ryann quickly closed his eyes.

Although nominally a retired “Supreme Emperor”, administrative matters would occasionally still fly in and entangle him. Like last night, when he had an overnight meeting, and this morning when he returned to the palace, he was stopped by Lin Ge… He reasonably suspected this woman intentionally blocked him during moments of unclear consciousness to trick him into resuming his position.

Never mind, he could always make up for sleep later.

The April morning temperature was pleasant, with sunshine… very comfortable.

In a half-asleep state, Ryann felt the body in his arms move slightly, and a familiar sound reached his ears.

Someone called him.

Like through a gauzy veil, distant and ethereal.

Ryann opened his eyes, dazed.

He raised his face, eyes blurry. Slight disheveled black hair brushed his eyebrows, and a voice that was weak and soft sounded, “Your Majesty…”

Was he dreaming?

Ryann cupped Jiang Jianming’s head in his palm, pressing him into his embrace. He buried his nose in the soft black hair, contentedly closing his eyes, and softly said, “Mm, good… let’s sleep together.”

Jiang Jianming: “…”

Ah, he had finally awakened, and now he had to sleep again?

Actually, in the past few days, Jiang Jianming had vaguely regained consciousness. He could feel Ryann hugging him every day and could hear Lin Ge and Sylph’s voices.

Moreover, he could smell the golden rose’s fragrance, hear the insects and birds outside the window. Sunlight occasionally brushed his eyelids, creating a warm golden expanse.

He just hadn’t been able to truly open his eyes. He didn’t expect that after finally waking this morning, he would catch Ryann sleeping instead…

Jiang Jianming found it somewhat amusing, so he closed his eyes again, snuggled into a more comfortable position in Ryann’s arms, and obediently curled his spine to continue sleeping.

…..

Near noon, the room’s door was pushed open again.

“Routine check-up.”

Sylph walked in, Lin Ge following behind, along with two floating medical robots.

She saw the scene on the bed and frowned. “Kaios, how many times have I told you not to always sleep while holding the Commander? What if you accidentally crush him? His body is not yet com… plete…”

Her words stopped midway as she stood frozen, staring blankly.

Lin Ge suddenly inhaled a cold breath.

“Shh.”

On the bed, Jiang Jianming gently stroked Ryann’s hanging curly hair, softly laughing, “Let him sleep. What was he busy with last night to be so exhausted?”

Sylph’s eyes widened.

She opened and closed her mouth, stammering, “Com… Com…”

Lin Ge: “Dawn! You—”

Her vision blurred, her legs went weak, and she was about to stumble. Although Sylph grabbed her, her knees still knocked against the cabinet at the door.

Ryann stirred and was awakened.

He frowned and turned his head, “What, a room check?”

Lin Ge had a blank expression and pointed at his arms.

Ryann turned back.

“……”

Their eyes met.

Jiang Jianming blinked. “Morning.”

More than a year after the war, the White Jade Palace awoke with a gentle and bright resurrection.

****

“Okay, don’t cry, don’t cry…”

That evening’s sunset was especially red, like a silk scarf hanging at the window.

Jiang Jianming helplessly stroked the shimmering white-gold curly hair, “Weren’t you very domineering this morning when you asked me to sleep with you, Your Majesty?”

Ryann knelt beside the bed, burying his face in the blanket at Jiang Jianming’s waist, rasped, “I’m not crying… Don’t move, just let me hold you for a while.”

He’s lying, Jiang Jianming thought.

He must have cried until his eyes were red, unable to lift his head.

At that time, Ryann clung to him, his movements were very light, not daring to truly put his full weight down – just throwing a tantrum.

“Your Majesty, isn’t this position uncomfortable?”

Jiang Jianming sighed, using his unhooked right hand to grab that white-gold curly hair, trying to lift this clingy creature, but failed.

He tried to simply press the person onto himself, not wanting Ryann to suffer in that awkward half-suspended position, but couldn’t press him down.

…The doctors had said it was good. His body was indeed still weak and needed slow recuperation.

After Jiang Jianming awakened, he was immediately taken to the central hospital that afternoon for a thorough examination. Lying on a movable bed, he went through procedures from inside out.

The hospital director, vice director, and numerous specialists were all present. Nurses could be seen wiping tears in the hallway.

Jiang Jianming’s scalp tingled. He originally wanted to comfort everyone and persuade the hospital not to make such a big scene, but before he could speak, an oxygen mask was placed on him.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid.”

Ryann stayed beside him, knowing he wasn’t good at such situations, firmly gripped his cold hand, constantly speaking, “Don’t look at others, don’t do anything… Close your eyes and rest when tired, just open your eyes and look at me. We’ll leave after the examination, not staying in the hospital.”

But when they returned to the palace, it became like this.

Jiang Jianming was completely helpless, so he leaned down and kissed a strand of hair.

“The life sign monitoring equipment no longer showed crystal disorder coefficients, and I can’t feel symptoms of crystal disorder.”

Jiang Jianming looked up at the window, speaking softly, “The war was totally won, right?”

“Indeed,” Ryann muffled his voice in the blanket.

Jiang Jianming: “How long did I sleep this time?”

Ryann: “Over a year.”

Jiang Jianming choked up.

Suddenly his gaze stopped on the ring finger of his right hand, he asked, “Where’s the ring?”

Ryann: “I crushed it when I came back to life.”

Jiang Jianming: “…”

Jiang Jianming: “That crystal bone ring?”

Ryann: “It was lost together with your useless base body.”

“…”

Ryann rubbed against the patient’s waist through the blanket. He tilted his face, revealing one eye from his disheveled hair, “Want the ring?”

Indeed, his eyes were wet and red, the moisture blurring his sharp and cold demeanor, leaving only an almost pitiful beauty.

Jiang Jianming felt his heart skip a beat, he hummed vaguely.

At this moment, the church bells rang out in the distance.

The current Glorious Cathedral was no longer a Crystal Cult building; it was preserved as a historical site commemorating human heroic souls.

Accompanied by the distant bell sounds, the atmosphere subtly turned ambiguous.

Seeming to sense the subtle change in the air, Ryann suddenly lifted his head. He stood up but bent down, grasping Jiang Jianming’s uninjected hand with both hands.

“Jiang,” Ryann spoke in a hoarse voice, “I have something to say…”

Jiang Jianming guessed what this person was about to say. The sunset’s red light made his face feel slightly hot, while Ryann’s shadow fell on the other side, making him seem split in two.

Jiang Jianming smiled softly. “Okay.”

Ryann was annoyed. “I haven’t even said it yet!”

“I know.”

Jiang Jianming reached out to embrace him, closed his eyes and tilted back his neck, kissing him. “You can decide the wedding date and place. I’m willing.”