In the master bedroom of the villa.
Under the warm, cozy blanket, the three of them huddled together. Shi Yuxing squirmed slightly under the heat pressing in from both sides. One arm rested across his forehead, while his other hand was held by someone, being repeatedly stroked and squeezed.
Damn Gu Lingzhou—he promised to transfer the money, but did he forget? The more Shi Yuxing thought about it, the angrier he got. He flipped over suddenly, and the alpha who had been nuzzling his wife’s neck felt a sharp sting on his cheek. A slap left him stunned. “Yuxing, what’s wrong?”
Xiao Zhou scrambled up, saw the faint red handprint on Da Ling’s face, and immediately let go of Shi Yuxing’s hand, scooting back. His shifty eyes seemed to say: “You hit his face, so don’t hit mine.”
Shi Yuxing had acted in a fit of anger, and now staring at the mark he’d left, he felt a little guilty.
“It’s okay. Hit me if you want—did that person make you angry?” The understanding older man leaned his face in closer, the still-fading redness near his cheek, his tone placating. “Hit me if it helps.”
Hearing this, Shi Yuxing was stunned—and so was the 18-year-old Gu Lingzhou.
Shi Yuxing thought: Now that’s an older man who knows how to cherish. Who says daddy isn’t appealing? This daddy is something else.
The young alpha stared at the magnanimous man on the bed, then quickly caught on and shoved his own face in front of Shi Yuxing. “Wife, you can hit me too! Don’t be mad—or you can hit my abs instead.” With that, Xiao Zhou unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a broad expanse of defined, chiseled muscles.
Shi Yuxing licked his lips, glanced left and right, then coughed lightly. Like some indulgent emperor, he reached out with both hands—one for each, wanting to feel the face and the abs at the same time.
The forgotten phone suddenly buzzed with a transfer notification. Shi Yuxing pulled his hands back, even more overjoyed.
The national aid had arrived. Though his own stash was far from empty, spending someone else’s money never stung—and besides, this was what Gu Lingzhou owed him.
“In a few days, we’re going to the aquarium.”
Both alphas were taken aback.
“We can go out?” Xiao Zhou asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
Shi Yuxing nodded. “Wrap up well and you won’t be noticed. And staying cooped up at home all the time can’t be comfortable for you, right?”
“Okay. Whatever Yuxing says.”
“Then I’m in too!”
…
On the day of the outing, the Gu Lingzhous woke up early. Even though they had to cover their faces, it didn’t stop them from styling their hair and coordinating their outfits.
By the time Shi Yuxing slowly stirred awake, the fragrant breakfast downstairs and two handsome servants were already ready. Shi Yuxing’s eyes, already big, went even wider. “Are you two going to a runway show?”
Sure, taking these two to the aquarium was bold—even reckless—but going out dressed like undercover celebrities was practically asking to be caught.
Drowning in a pig cage—all of them.
He rubbed the sides of his nose, closing his eyes. “Go change into something ugly. The uglier, the better. And hunch your backs when you’re out.”
Xiao Zhou’s lips drooped, his wet eyes looking at him pitifully.
“Hurry up. If we get caught, I’m the one drowned in a pig cage, and you two will be taken in for research.”
So the two “superstars” had to go back upstairs and redo their outfits.
“Still too handsome.”
“Not ugly enough.”
“Do you even know what ugly means? Have some sense of bad taste, will you?”
“…How about you wear women’s clothes…”
Shi Yuxing lazily tapped his chopsticks against the empty plate, pouting and frowning as he watched two top-tier men parade in front of him in endless rounds.
Damn it. How can two people have such great bodies? They’d look good even in a burlap sack.
There were no more outfits to try. Shi Yuxing looked at the plainest shirts they had on and sighed. “Forget it. Just keep your masks and hats on, cover up tight, and don’t let your faces get caught on camera.” He put on his own mask as well.
The sun blazed overhead; it was warm outside, but the temperature inside the aquarium was just right.
The three heavily bundled people successfully got their tickets scanned. Blue light bathed them as they entered. First, they came across a massive glass wall, with thousands of fish swimming through man-made European-style arches, occasionally a manta ray drifting by with a “smile.”
After only a short stop, Shi Yuxing moved on to the next spot.
The place he wanted to see most was the underwater tunnel.
As soon as they entered, the temperature dropped. The world was enveloped in water-blue hues, light dancing across their bodies and feet like glowing serpents.
Xiao Zhou stepped on one of those shimmering “serpents.” “Wife, this place is beautiful.”
Shi Yuxing nodded, watching the marine life drift from left to right—it felt like being surrounded by them.
“Click—”
Shi Yuxing whipped his head toward the sound and saw Da Ling taking a photo with his phone. His tension eased, and he even flashed a peace sign at the camera.
After exiting the tunnel, they walked a bit and turned into the dolphin pavilion.
Watching two dolphins leap up and dive down together in the water, Shi Yuxing took off his mask and cheered along with the crowd: “Amazing! So incredible!”
Both alphas turned their eyes to his face. Shi Yuxing shot them a glance. “Why are you looking at me? Look at the dolphins! Wow—so cool!”
The dolphins seemed to have heard his voice and suddenly opened their mouths in his direction. Shi Yuxing got even more excited, waving and shouting like a child. There was a decent crowd watching the performance, and his small commotion was quickly swallowed by the sea of voices.
The trainer fed the two dolphins some small fish, then addressed the audience with a microphone: “We’ll be selecting a few lucky audience members to come up and interact with the dolphins. Anyone want to volunteer?”
“Yes!!!”
“Over here! Over here!”
Responses came from all directions, but Shi Yuxing lowered his arms.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you want to go?” Da Ling leaned down and asked considerately. Shi Yuxing had been cheering so enthusiastically—he must really like them.
Shi Yuxing slowly shook his head. “Too conspicuous. I’d get noticed. Didn’t you see the big screen?”
Unexpectedly, even though he didn’t want to go up, he was chosen anyway. The big screen paused on each face for a second. The trainer asked the dolphins poking their heads out of the water: “Little darlings, if you see a human you want to interact with, how about giving us a call?”
Both dolphins nodded in succession.
First row—no response.
Second row—no response.
The trainer was about to assume the dolphins didn’t want to interact when the camera swept to the last row. Suddenly, the dolphins made a sound. The fleeting image was replayed, and Shi Yuxing’s bewildered face appeared on the big screen.
“Whoa, little darlings, you’re quite the lookists.” The trainer laughed when he saw that delicate, pretty face. “Then let’s invite this handsome guy up to interact with our two darlings.”
Shi Yuxing’s expression tightened. He quickly pulled his mask back on, but it was already too late—everyone in the venue had seen his face. Fortunately, no one seemed to recognize him as the General’s wife.
“The handsome guy’s shy! Don’t be shy—come up and play with us.”
Da Ling patted his back. With a mix of nervousness, Shi Yuxing walked up to the trainer amidst the envious or admiring gazes of the audience.
“Come on, handsome, give the dolphin a pet.”
Shi Yuxing reached out, but before he could even touch it, the dolphin bumped its head against his hand, letting out happy “Ah-ah” sounds.
The trainer explained: “It’s very happy. How does it feel?” He brought the microphone to Shi Yuxing’s masked mouth.
“Very smooth. Like a rubber ball.” Shi Yuxing smiled and stroked the dolphin’s sleek head a couple more times. The other dolphin squeezed in too, as if trying to push its companion aside.
The trainer: “Want to try feeding them?”
Shi Yuxing nodded. He’d had the chance to go up on stage and interact with dolphins as a child too—back then, one of them had tried to kiss him, scaring him so much he’d fallen over.
Whenever Shi Yuxing fed one of the two dolphins first, the other would cry out, so he had to feed them simultaneously with both hands. If he slowed down even a little, water would splash out.
They’re so much like those two alphas, Shi Yuxing thought, stroking both dolphins’ heads with his left and right hands. He glanced back at the last row of the audience—both of them had their phones raised, filming. When they saw him turn, they waved.
The interaction time passed quickly. The two dolphins called out reluctantly, refusing to let him go. The trainer found it amusing. “When I leave, they don’t make a peep. Guess I’m not handsome enough.”
Shi Yuxing leaned his face forward slightly as if to get up, and the two dolphins followed, one on each side, quickly planting gentle pecks on his mask.
“Hey—you two, stealing kisses like that.”
Back in his seat, Shi Yuxing was still savoring the moment.
“I want a kiss too.”
“Need a tissue? Let me wipe your hands.”
The two alphas leaned in, exactly like those affectionate dolphins.
For the next selection, the dolphins waited until the camera reached the last row before making a sound. The audience caught on and all turned their heads.
“These two dolphins are clever—only picking the good-looking ones to interact with. Naughty.”
Feeling embarrassed, Shi Yuxing grabbed the two alphas and snuck out through the back door. If they stayed any longer, nobody else would get a chance to go up.
Once outside, the humidity in the air lingered. Shi Yuxing found a café to rest in.
“General, we’ve finished checking. There are five spots in the aquarium showing signs of suspected Zerg damage. But no need to worry—the curator has already sent people to repair them. Should be fine.”
Gu Lingzhou looked at the report in his hand. “‘Should be’? I need a definitive answer.” With that, he tossed the report back at the man.
The Zerg were getting more cunning—trying to infiltrate through the pipes. They needed a thorough lockdown and sweep, leaving no opportunity for exploitation.
His clear black-and-white eyes glanced up—and suddenly stopped.
Shi Yuxing took the fruit tea Da Ling handed him and took a sip. “Mm, not bad. Aren’t you ordering?”
“Wife, mine’s really good—have a sip.” Xiao Zhou offered his cup. Shi Yuxing commented, “A little bitter. Not my thing.”
Sunlight streamed through the window, hitting his profile, a bit glaring. Shi Yuxing turned to pull the curtain shut—but then he saw a familiar figure approaching in the distance. The sunlight was blinding; he raised his hand to shield his eyes and squinted. Only then did he realize who it was.
Gu Lingzhou drew closer. By the time Shi Yuxing saw him clearly, Gu Lingzhou had already seen him too.
His heart pounded violently. Shi Yuxing yanked the curtain shut, then pushed the shoulders of the men beside him. “Quick, go—the affair-catcher is here.”
Leave a Reply