TL: Hua

Chapter 52

Zakun pressed the communicator, his voice hoarse as he ordered his subordinates to retreat downstairs. He left no ambiguous plea for help, because if he uttered a single wrong word, the person behind him would end his life without hesitation.

Perhaps mistakenly assuming he had some specific personal requirement, the subordinates outside didn’t ask questions and quickly complied with the order to withdraw.

“Let’s go, sir.” Ji Xuan hoisted Zakun up from the floor with one hand, grabbing a tie from the sofa with the other to gag him. “I hope both you and your men remain sufficiently obedient.”

Ji Xuan pushed open the exhibition hall door; the hallway outside was already deserted. He adjusted his breathing, attempting to ignore the discomfort caused by the Alpha pheromones in such close proximity. However, the aura emitted by an S-grade Alpha on the brink of losing control carried significant pressure, hammering at his nerves like a blunt instrument. Nausea and dizziness welled up simultaneously, but he could only force them back down.

The communication channel in his earring was switched to Shen Que. Following his directions, Ji Xuan escorted Zakun quickly through several hidden passages, avoiding the main surveillance areas and heading down via the emergency exit.

The surveillance camera above the corner blinked with a crimson light. Past the final turn lay the club exit. The sounds of several guards talking drifted from ahead. Just as Ji Xuan was about to pull Zakun behind a wall to hide, the latter suddenly lunged with a violent struggle, slamming into Ji Xuan!

He was burly and had been building up his strength for a long time. If the impact landed, it would definitely expose Ji Xuan to surveillance.

Fortunately, Ji Xuan had anticipated the collision and stepped aside a beat early to dodge. To his surprise, Zakun’s target wasn’t him at all. The Alpha’s body crashed straight into the side wall.

Two “clicks” overlapped. All the lights in the passage flickered violently for a moment before quickly returning to normal.

“What’s going on?” the puzzled voice of one guard came from not far away.

“Old issue, unstable voltage,” another guard replied indifferently. “Don’t make a fuss; just watch your door.”

Ji Xuan gripped Zakun’s shoulder, dragging him away from the wall, and gave him a mocking sideways glance as if laughing at his futile resistance.

The surveillance camera overhead panned to the right. Shen Que’s report came through the left earring: “The surveillance can last another thirty seconds. The exit is twenty meters ahead to the left; the access control has been disabled.”

Without a moment’s delay, Ji Xuan dragged Zakun and dove into the shadows on the other side.

–

Zakun had originally assumed Ji Xuan was merely a plant from another faction, taking him hostage only to secure a piece of the pie. He never dreamed that this man actually hailed from the Alliance Military.

After all, Ji Xuan’s temperament was a far cry from that of a standard Alliance regular armed force. Had Zakun not witnessed his methods while escaping the club and the team lying in wait outside the winery, he wouldn’t have believed it for a second.

The aircraft door slid open silently. Zakun was shoved roughly into the back seat, where the occupants secured him firmly with restraint straps.

Shen Que closed the hatch and looked toward Ji Xuan, who had just pulled open the passenger door to board.

His gaze lingered on Ji Xuan’s pale face and the sweat beading on his forehead. Having smelled the pheromones radiating from Zakun as Ji Xuan approached, Shen Que didn’t need to think twice to guess Ji Xuan’s current condition.

“Can you hold on?”

Ji Xuan took a deep breath, suppressing the surge of nausea in his throat. “Let’s get out of here first.”

Shen Que said no more, quickly went around to the pilot’s seat, and started the engine. The aircraft silently glided out of the shadows and soon disappeared into the deep night.

Ji Xuan leaned against the back of the seat, eyes closed as he adjusted his breathing. In the back seat, someone injected a dose of suppressant into Zakun’s gland; the latter let out a muffled whimper.

Only after confirming there was no possibility of being followed and the aircraft had entered its predetermined route did Shen Que speak again: “The people from North Star Fortress have arrived at Planet Belheim. They are verifying intelligence and preparing the layout for the capture. I’m taking you to the agreed location now.”

Ji Xuan did not respond.

The space inside the aircraft was airtight, and the discomfort he had forcibly suppressed earlier began to backlash. Although the concentration of pheromones in the air had thinned after the suppressant took effect, Ji Xuan still felt waves of physiological nausea and dizziness. Fine beads of cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He tried to suppress the reaction by regulating his breath, but the influence of a high-grade Alpha’s pheromones on an Omega wasn’t something that could be fully resisted by willpower alone, especially when one’s mind relaxed even slightly.

His neck collar had been adjusted to its highest setting; he could only ensure that his own pheromones wouldn’t leak out and affect the others in the vehicle.

Shen Que handled the steering wheel, his gaze sweeping over the road conditions ahead before falling back onto Ji Xuan.

“Sorry, it was our oversight; we didn’t prepare an Omega suppressant.” After saying this, his throat bobbed with difficulty, his voice pressed very low: “There’s still a distance to the destination. If… if you need it, I can release a little pheromone to soothe you.”

Ji Xuan opened his sweat-drenched eyes: “I don’t need it.”

Was it that he didn’t need a pheromone soothing, or he didn’t need his pheromones?

Shen Que’s fingers on the steering wheel tightened imperceptibly for a moment before loosening. No joy or anger could be seen on his expressionless face; he merely gave a faint response: “Alright.”

The aircraft eventually docked at a sightseeing ship.

The hatch slid open, and the cool night air, mixed with damp water vapor, rolled in, slightly diluting the scent inside the craft.

The members of the Azure Bird Seventh Guard immediately stepped forward, saluting Shen Que as he stepped down from the driver’s seat.

Shen Que returned the salute and gestured toward the back seat: “The target is inside. I’m handing him over to you now.”

The two members nodded, stepped forward, and hauled a limp, drug-addled Zakun out of the back seat, quickly leading him away.

Having dealt with Zakun, Shen Que turned toward Ji Xuan, who was still sitting in the passenger seat. Ji Xuan was attempting to unbuckle his seatbelt, but his fingertips were trembling quietly, and his movements were slower than normal.

Shen Que reached out a hand toward him, his voice still steady and clear: “We’re here. Do you need—”

“No need,” Ji Xuan interrupted him. He finally unbuckled the belt, avoided Shen Que’s hand, and forced himself up by bracing against the seat.

The night wind, carrying the damp cold of the seawater, hit him head-on, blowing the damp strands of hair on his forehead. He swayed uncontrollably upon landing but steadied himself instantly. He took a breath of the cold air and was about to head toward the cabin entrance when a figure suddenly appeared in his blurred vision.

A gust of wind arrived in a frantic rush; breath hitched with urgency. With messy hair blown by the sea breeze, the newcomer quickly scanned the surroundings, his gaze landing with precision on Ji Xuan.

He didn’t even spare a glance for Shen Que or the captured Zakun; in a few large strides, he was in front of Ji Xuan. Pei Yingye hadn’t originally intended to touch him, but in the moment of proximity, he seemed to discover something and reached out to catch Ji Xuan’s arm.

“…” Ji Xuan leaned his forehead against Pei Yingye’s shoulder and took a breath. He smelled nothing, which annoyed him.

He looked up, casting a lazy glance at Pei Yingye, the corners of his eyes flushed with a lingering, beautiful red: “Finished with your meeting? You’re so slow.”

His voice sounded raspier than usual, yet strangely, it was even more suggestive.

Pei Yingye’s Adam’s apple shifted: “I came out the moment I got the news.”

He paused, then added, “It’s windy here. Shall we go inside?”

Ji Xuan didn’t speak, only tilting his chin slightly in silent permission. Only then did Pei Yingye reach out and wrap his arm around Ji Xuan’s lower back.

As they left, Shen Que’s gaze briefly met Pei Yingye’s. The latter raised an eyebrow and said, “Thanks for the cooperation, Chief Shen.”

Then, he let Ji Xuan lean most of his weight against him, half-embracing him as they walked into the cabin.

–

There was no bed in the lounge of the sightseeing ship, only sofas on three sides and a low coffee table.

With a soft click of the lock, Pei Yingye secured the door behind them. Ji Xuan immediately straightened up from his embrace, walked to the sofa, sat down, and rubbed his temples.

“I want water.”

Pei Yingye obeyed, pouring warm water and handing it to him.

Ji Xuan took it, drank slowly, and reached up to unfasten the bothersome collar around his neck. With the Omega pheromones no longer obstructed, they instantly flooded the entire lounge.

Pei Yingye looked down, his gaze deep as he watched him. Alpha instinct made him almost powerless against the pheromones actively released by the Omega he desired, especially in such a confined space where it was just the two of them.

Ji Xuan finished the water, set the cup casually on the coffee table, and looked up at Pei Yingye, who was still standing before him. His eyes swept over the bulging veins on the Alpha’s neck.

“When does the operation start?” he asked nonchalantly.

Pei Yingye’s voice was hoarse: “In seven hours.”

“That’s enough,” Ji Xuan said dismissively, leaning back into the sofa.

Before Pei Yingye could understand what he meant, his wrist was grabbed. Ji Xuan’s fingertips flicked the dial on his wristband, lowering the suppression level.

“Give me a little pheromone,” Ji Xuan said softly, his voice almost melting into the sea breeze.

Pei Yingye’s breath hitched. In the next second, a rich scent exploded outward. Both dry and intense, the scent of a wilderness scorched by a blazing sun broke free from its shackles. Pei Yingye leaned down, hands bracing against the sofa back, his forehead pressed against Ji Xuan’s. His burning breath fell on the other’s face.

“Just ‘a little’?” His nose brushed against the bridge of Ji Xuan’s nose. “Ji Xuan, you smell like…”

He paused, seemingly searching for the right words, before adding with a hint of gritted teeth, “…you’re covered in that bastard’s scent.”

Pinned against the sofa, Ji Xuan tilted his head back, his fingers tracing the skin of Pei Yingye’s neck, feeling the vigorous pulse and the excessive heat.

“So?” Ji Xuan suddenly lifted his waist and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “His doesn’t smell as good as yours.”

Pei Yingye’s eyes darkened. His fingers pried open Ji Xuan’s lips as he leaned in again. Their noses brushed, and he kissed him greedily, his tongue pushing past the teeth to usher in his pheromones. Ji Xuan parted his lips slightly, tasting a warm, soft spiciness, and took small nips at Pei Yingye’s lower lip.

“I will overwrite everything,” Pei Yingye’s kisses drifted lower, his nose brushing against Ji Xuan’s gland. “Everything that makes you uncomfortable. Everything that shouldn’t be there.”

–

An hour later, Ji Xuan’s mind had fully cleared.

When he pulled away from Pei Yingye’s arms, he did so without a shred of lingering affection. The poor Xiao Pei, having been drained dry of his pheromones, understood for the first time what it meant to be used and discarded.

Yet he still said, “Call me next time you need some.”

Ji Xuan gave him a half-smile.

He changed out of the inconvenient silk shirt into his combat uniform. When his hand touched the neck collar, he hesitated for a moment before putting it back on.

In the meeting room, Ji Jingche and Aslan had already assigned the personnel.

The Azure Bird Seventh Guard’s main mission was complete; the following cleanup operation would be handled by the First Guard. However, with Ying Xun’s approval, Pei Yingye and Ji Xuan were allowed to join. They were not part of the central task force but a mobile support unit responsible for backup or intercepting unexpected variables.

Of course, to give face to the Case Legion, Shen Que and his team were also integrated into the operation.

Before setting off, Shen Que, fully geared, spoke a few words to his teammates and then suddenly approached Ji Xuan.

Pei Yingye gave him a cold look. Shen Que didn’t care, but upon smelling the lingering Alpha pheromones on Ji Xuan, he still couldn’t control the furrow of his brow.

“Are you… feeling better?”

Ji Xuan nodded coldly: “No need for your concern.”

Shen Que’s lips parted and closed several times before he squeezed out, “That’s good then.”

And then he added, “Good luck with the mission.”

When the time arrived, several disguised aircraft and speedboats slipped out from the sightseeing ship, heading toward East Port Pier. The closer they got, the more turbulent the sea breeze became. Salty, freezing seawater lashed against the pier, instantly shattering into murky foam.

Ji Xuan and Pei Yingye arrived at the designated Container Terminal, Area B. Layers of containers were stacked like high fortresses, blotting out the already dim starlight. The two found a spot on top of a container with a relatively wide field of vision and crouched down into position. Reports of various teams confirming their arrival came through the comms channel. Dark clouds came and went; the moonlight cast a cold, white glow through the gaps.

Ji Xuan’s breathing was very light. Pei Yingye turned his head to steal a glance at him.

The ruby earring was a communicator provided by Shen Que; it had been on since Ji Xuan boarded the aircraft to the club alone. Therefore, every word of the conversation with Zakun had reached Pei Yingye’s ears.

Thinking of the holographic game Zakun had mentioned, some lost memory seemed to stir, causing a sharp, brief pain in Pei Yingye’s head.

He had notified Aslan immediately upon receiving the news, followed by the briefing with the First Guard, so he hadn’t had time to search for the game Zakun spoke of.

Could there be such a coincidence in the world? Or was it just Zakun’s muddled mind babbling nonsense?

Yet, those collections of his did indeed share similarities with Ji Xuan.

“What are you thinking about?” Ji Xuan asked.

Pei Yingye snapped back to reality, his face donning his usual grin: “Thinking about how Shen Que is a nuisance who won’t go away. He’s clearly smelling the pheromones from a mile off yet still coming over to ask a spiteful question. I’m also thinking about how cliché Zakun’s flirting tactics are. A smuggler obsessed with a game character… he must have some perverted fetish for liking the idea of being stabbed with knives. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Ji Xuan chuckled: “Is that all?”

Pei Yingye gazed into his eyes. Under the pale moonlight, those peach blossom eyes were like a deep, dark sea, making one instinctively want to draw closer until they drowned.

Of course, it wasn’t just that. Pei Yingye licked his dry lips, not intending to tell Ji Xuan the truth.

He was still thinking about the kiss in the lounge, the mixed scent of pheromones, and Ji Xuan’s hand draped over his shoulder. If not for this damn mission, he could have left his scent on Ji Xuan for much longer.

“Stop thinking and focus,” Ji Xuan reminded him. “If you keep staring, you’ll make me lose my focus too.”

Pei Yingye lowered his eyelids, gave a brief acknowledgement, and said no more.

Time ticked by, second by second. Finally, the hum of an aircraft shattered the silence of the pier.

“Target has appeared. All units maintain radio silence.”

The controlled Zakun began to make contact with the figure stepping off the aircraft. The members of the First Guard, lurking in the darkness, stood ready. Everything seemed to be proceeding according to plan.

However, just one second before the order to close the net was issued—

BANG!!!

A heavy blast echoed simultaneously from two completely opposite directions!