AP Chapter 67

Chapter 67 – The Epiphyllum

Novel Title: 顶级掠食者 (Alpha Predator)

Author：水千丞 (ShuiQianCheng)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 沈岱 (Shen Dai -MC), 瞿末予 (Qu Moyu -ML))

*Please read at knoxt.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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Shen Dai returned to the capital city with Qiu Qiu. He had considered leaving Qiu Qiu in Lancheng and coming back by himself to handle matters, since flying with such a small child is inconvenient. However, his grandmother was very eager to see Qiu Qiu, and he didn’t feel comfortable leaving Qiu Qiu behind.

During the two-hour flight, Qiu Qiu cried for about half the time. This was probably the most embarrassing moment of Shen Dai’s life. He could clearly hear the impatient sighs and the condemning looks from the passengers around him. Someone even complained, loud enough for him to hear, “Why bring such a small child on a plane?” He used to dread sitting next to noisy children on public transport and could fully understand the annoyance of those passengers. But when he found himself in their position, he felt helpless and ashamed, every second felt like sitting on pins and needles.

Finally, they reached their destination. Without the pressure changes of the plane, Qiu Qiu, tired from crying, quickly fell asleep.

In the taxi, Shen Dai watched the sleeping Qiu Qiu, noting his swollen eyelids, damp eyelashes, pink nose, and the little mouth that opened and closed slightly with each breath. He thought to himself; how can such a small child have the energy to cry for so long? Shen Dai gently brushed Qiu Qiu’s cheek with his finger and sighed.

Then, the driver’s comment made Shen Dai feel even worse. He said, “This child is just a few months old, right? And you, an omega, are taking him on a long trip alone?”

Shen Dai caught the driver’s sympathetic gaze in the rearview mirror. He responded with a faint “Hmm” and turned to look out the window.

Shen Dai stayed at a hotel very close to his home. Shortly after he checked in, his grandmother arrived. At her age and with her health issues, it was difficult for her to go out by herself. When they saw each other, their eyes filled with tears. His grandmother couldn’t help but cry as she hugged Shen Dai.

After calming down, his grandmother was immediately drawn to Qiu Qiu lying on the bed. She hugged and kissed him, not knowing how to express her delight. Qiu Qiu, too, had a natural fondness for his great-grandmother, smiling sweetly in a way that could melt anyone’s heart.

They talked about everything that had happened over the past year.

During this time, Shen Dai had only been in secret contact with his grandmother. She had followed his request to keep Shen Qin in the dark about his whereabouts and Qiu Qiu’s existence. From the fragmented information she got from Shen Dai, she was both angry and helpless about what Shen Qin had done. However, she couldn’t do without the care of her family and tried to prevent Shen Qin from knowing that Shen Dai had given birth to Qu Moyu’s child. Otherwise, Shen Qin would never let go of this golden opportunity.

This time, Shen Dai had no intention of letting Shen Qin know about his return. He had only two tasks: to complete his resignation process and to discuss with his grandmother the possibility of her moving to Lancheng with him.

When he mentioned the latter, his grandmother hesitated as expected.

His grandmother held Qiu Qiu’s chubby little hand and sighed softly, “With my health and at my age, I can’t help you take care of the child.”

Shen Dai quickly replied, “You don’t have to take care of him. I’ve already found a nanny.”

“Then I’ll just be a burden to you.” His grandmother looked at Shen Dai with her eyes full of pain. “You’re still so young. It’s already hard to raise a child alone. And with a sick old woman to take care of, how will you manage?”

Shen Dai forced a light-hearted smile. “The new job I’ve found, although it doesn’t pay as well as here, it is still a decent salary. The cost of living in Lancheng is low. And the house belongs to a friend. So the rent is very cheap. With that, the pressure won’t be too much.”

“It’s not just about money. You have your career to focus on, and you need to take care of the child. Adding an elderly person to the mix will be too much for you to handle. Ah Dai, you’ve already worked so hard. I can’t be a burden to you anymore.” His grandmother smiled, “I have a son. It’s his responsibility to take care of me in my old age, not yours. You’ve taken care of me for many years, now you should take care of your own child.”

Shen Dai looked at his grandmother’s loving eyes, his heart clenched. He knew she was right. But he couldn’t bear the thought. If it weren’t for Qiu Qiu, his primary duty would be to take care of his grandmother in her old age. He firmly said, “Grandma, I know it will be difficult. But I can take care of you. I managed to take care of you when I didn’t even have a formal job, and I can do it now. As long as our family is together, we can overcome any difficulty.”

His grandmother shook her head. “Ah Dai, I am content knowing you care so much. But I don’t want to be a burden to you any longer, nor do I want to leave my hometown. I’ve lived here all my life, and I plan to die here.” She teased, “If I move to the northwest, the climate and environment are so different that I wouldn’t even know how to tend to flowers there.”

Shen Dai looked at his grandmother with sorrow. Both of them were fully aware that if they lived apart, their chances of seeing each other again in this lifetime would be very few.

Shen Dai began to hesitate, thinking that maybe he should stay and find a job here so he could take care of his grandmother. But this place was too close to Qu Moyu, while Lancheng had a ready job waiting for him. He found himself in a dilemma.

His grandmother noticed his hesitation and changed the subject, talking about Qiu Qiu. She asked detailed questions, as if trying to make up for all the missed moments with her little great-grandson.

***

Qu Moyu slowly opened his eyes. The room he was in was dimly lit. But he still felt a high pressure in his eyes. They were aching and swollen.

His body was in an extremely contradictory state—both exhausted and hyperactive. How could he describe it? It was as if an already overloaded machine had been fitted with a high-strength battery—he was tired, but with an unending supply of energy.

He sat up from the bed and looked around at the desolate silence.

This was a large suite with an extremely eerie decor. The overall colour scheme was a deep ocean blue. All the walls were padded, there were no windows, and the door was thick metal with a small inner door, obviously for passing items through. The lighting was all recessed, and the floor was covered with a thick, long-pile carpet. The only piece of furniture was a large mattress on the floor—there was no bed frame. In one corner of the floor were some essential items: food, water, clothes, and medicine. The only other areas were a shower and a toilet, both minimalist to the extreme, with almost no extra items.

It looked like a doomsday bunker. But it was more like a prison—this was the safe house that S-class alphas used to endure their susceptibility periods alone.

Safe houses were usually hidden and isolated underground to protect others from being harmed by the alpha. The deep blue decor, designed to be the most calming colour. The padded walls to avoid hard surfaces, and the absence of unnecessary items were all measures to prevent the alpha from accidentally injuring themselves in a frenzied state.

There were signs of destruction here: damaged carpets and mattresses, as well as doors covered in fist marks and blood stains.

Following the pain in his body, Qu Moyu looked down at his hands wrapped in white bandages, stained with blood. He recalled what happened before he passed out.

At the peak of his desire, his father had opened the eight-centimetre-thick, bulletproof alloy door and sent in Zhou Xiaochu. That obedient and frail omega, his beautiful fiancée, released a sweet scent of plum. It was filled with fear and anticipation as he tried to approach him.

The omega’s pheromones filled the entire room, penetrating his brain—they were sweet, alluring, and seductive. It was an infinite temptation. But it was not what he wanted.

His body and soul gave a clear answer to what and who he wanted. Every second in the safe house, flooded with hormones, was a test of his endurance. So if it wasn’t the ephemeral scent of his desired epiphyllum daring to invade his territory at this time, it was provocation.

With a trace of sanity left, he restrained himself from attacking the intruder and instead pounded his fists against the door repeatedly. He used the pain to stay conscious, roaring like a beast to warn and intimidate.

The intruder’s fearful screams irritated him. His last shred of patience was wearing thin.

That door opened again. That was the damn door that blocked him from finding his omega. He charged forward, determined to escape. He wanted to find that elusive epiphyllum scent. No one could imprison him. No one could take away the person that belonged to him!

Then his father and mother appeared. In this world, the only ones who could possibly subdue an S-class alpha were their parents. This wasn’t physical subjugation but a suppression from psychological, moral, and genetic instincts—bloodline pressure temporarily surpassing pheromonal suppression.

He watched his father inject him with a sedative. He suppressed the urge to resist and knelt at his mother’s feet. He repeatedly asked, “Where is Shen Dai? Where is my omega? Give me Shen Dai!” until he lost consciousness.

Shen Dai, Shen Dai, Shen Dai.

This name echoed like a spell in his mind. He clutched his aching head, rolled off the bed onto the floor, tormented by the rampant desire and heart-wrenching longing. He was like a starving man on the brink of death that was craving food. He wanted Shen Dai. He desperately and insanely wanted Shen Dai.

He crawled and staggered to the door, once again pounding his fists against the barrier that kept him from Shen Dai. He had to leave this place. He had to find his omega immediately and inhale that haunting epiphyllum scent.

But a small voice inside him told him he wouldn’t find Shen Dai, nor smell that scent. Because he had personally discarded Shen Dai. Shen Dai had walked far, far away from him, leaving his world without looking back.

Despair surged over him like a tidal wave, breaking down the dam of his heart.

His heart ached as if it was dying.

The door eventually opened. But of course, he couldn’t have Shen Dai. What he got instead were the epiphyllum flowers his parents had scoured the city to find and all of Shen Dai’s personal belongings left in his home.

He piled Shen Dai’s clothes and bed linens together, creating a nest. He was like a child who had lost his home. He curled up in that nest. It was the only place that could give him a sense of security, drawing the faint traces of Shen Dai’s pheromones from those already-washed items.

He clung to Shen Dai’s pyjamas, crying uncontrollably. That faint epiphyllum scent was too weak, nowhere near what he once had. He used to have not just the sweet pheromones, but also the heartfelt words, gentle hugs, sweet kisses, and passionate love. He craved them madly. He whispered, “Ah Dai, where are you?”

Ah Dai, where are you? Have you abandoned me? Why won’t you come back to me?

Ah Dai, come back and see me. Come stay with me. I miss you so much. I miss you so much. I miss you so much.

Ah Dai, I like you so much. I only want you.

Ah Dai, it hurts so much.

Ah Dai, I’m sorry…

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Next update: 2022.07.01

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*Proofread by 2024.07.31* I will proofread these chapters slowly when I’m free. I prioritise the mature chapter first because of censorship. So please understand if there are any delays or discrepancies. TQ.

Proofread version of the rest of the novel will only be available on knoxt.space while Mature Chapters will be released on my Blog.