A man with a scar splitting near his eye socket stepped closer, looking down at the person before him. Light struck his prominent brow bone, casting a shadow that made his eyes, hidden in the darkness, even sharper—like a leopard in the night.
“Tell me—are you people specifically targeting alpha glands?” An Bao leaned in slightly when the man didn’t answer.
Their eyes met. The man’s gaze was filled with confusion and shock. “It seems… that’s actually the case.” A dawning realization crept into his voice. “I haven’t seen many omegas this past year.”
An Bao: “We’re not even two months into this year.”
“Tch—why so serious?” Lily looked away. “Fine—last year then. But I wasn’t in charge of that anyway. You’d be better off asking the others you caught.”
An Bao frowned: “The others all said they didn’t know—that’s why I’m asking you.”
“Bullshit. That bastard’s lying to you. One of the people caught with me is one of Wuchang’s men.”
The chair rattled for a moment. An Bao’s hands slammed down on either side of him, startling Lily so much his eyes went wide—any trace of drowsiness long gone.
“Who? Tell me his name.”
Lily swallowed and gave up the name of the one hiding secrets. An Bao spun around to leave, but Lily quickly called after him: “Hey—don’t tell them I told you. And make sure my safety is protected, got it?”
The usually quiet police station was unusually bustling today. Listening to the hurried footsteps outside, Lily leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest.
“Bang—”
“Bang bang—”
After several gunshots, Gu Lingzhou stopped the timer and raised one hand, palm outward, announcing: “Time: one minute flat. Hits: thirty-nine. Score: 351 rings—unqualified! Next!” The soldiers waiting their turn trembled. The General had been training them like mad today—normally, averaging nine rings per shot on thirty-nine rounds was considered good.
“One-minute rapid-fire assessment—ready… begin!”
Another volley of gunfire. A young soldier in the prone position, too focused to wipe the sweat running into his eyes, stared at the score flashing on the target board—forty-eight hits, 473 rings—and swallowed hard.
Gu Lingzhou narrowed his eyes at him, about to speak, when footsteps approached from behind. “General Gu, there’s a Mr. Shi here to see—” Before the sentence finished, Gu Lingzhou’s expression softened as he turned and said: “Good.”
“Tell him to wait for me. Don’t let him wander off.” His tone was completely different from how he addressed the burly men behind him. Even the cold wind evaporating their sweat suddenly felt sweet and gentle.
The burly men silently cursed Gu Lingzhou for his double standard. If they ever released footage of how clingy he got with Shi Yuxing, the General’s standing among these rough men would collapse entirely.
Then, facing this group of rugged soldiers he’d been training all afternoon, his lips curled up by a single pixel: “Time: one minute flat. Hits: forty-eight. Score: 473 rings—excellent.”
Someone started clapping. Soon, thunderous applause and cheers rained down. Gu Lingzhou looked at them: “I’ll be testing you again tomorrow. Squad leader, fall in.”
Someone called out: “General, if you’re in a hurry to see Mr. Shi, we can head back on our own.”
“Oh~” Someone below couldn’t hold back a laugh, teasing him.
“Attention!” Gu Lingzhou knew they joked about him privately and didn’t scold them. Once everyone was standing before him as neatly as a block of cake, his tense expression eased slightly. “Dismissed.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the crowd scattered. A few ran off so fast they disappeared in an instant. Gu Lingzhou could faintly hear their whispered discussions growing more distant.
“Is the General lovesick? I think I just saw pink bubbles.”
“Remember the camellia incident? The General locked them in the freezer—I was shocked when I went to get an ice pack.”
“Can we have the General’s wife come for inspections from now on? I’ll add him and beg him to come every day.”
“Shh—hurry. If Gu Lingzhou hears you, you’re dead.”
“You just said his name—you’re dead too…”
Not only did Gu Lingzhou have sharp eyesight, his hearing was also excellent. He easily pinpointed the source and glanced over—those figures ran even faster.
…
Shi Yuxing sat in the starship, occasionally looking up from his phone to glance out the window. He thought back to this afternoon, when Gu Lingzhou had pressed his head against his and begged him to come visit tonight—and shook his head. Lust truly clouded judgment. How had he even agreed? Not even a shred of interest—a complete loss.
His messages to Gu Lingzhou had vanished into thin air. Shi Yuxing figured he was probably too busy to reply, so he decided to get out of the car. Just then, someone tapped on his window. The window rolled down to reveal a man in uniform, gun in hand, saluting. “Hello, this is a military zone. You’ve been parked here too long—please leave.”
Having been there for less than two minutes, Shi Yuxing leaned out slightly and gave a polite smile. “I’m here to see Gu Lingzhou.”
The man likely had no idea this was the General’s wife. Stunned by his looks, he then showed a hint of suspicion. “And you are?”
Quite a few people passing by stole glances in his direction, but the darkness obscured whether the person in the car was human or ghost.
“He…” Shi Yuxing paused for a second. “Legal husband. If you can reach him, tell him to come see me soon—otherwise I’m going home.”
The uniformed alpha, not daring to be careless, asked: “Your surname?”
“His name is Shi Yuxing.” A familiar voice suddenly cut in. Shi Yuxing noticed his hair was longer than before.
Wen Lan said something to the man standing by the window, who nodded. “Understood. I’ll go inform the General now.”
As the man left, he stole another glance at the face inside the car that was hard to look away from. Having heard of Shi Yuxing’s name but only now seeing him in person, the alpha suppressed the unwelcome stir in his heart—so this was the treasure the General kept hidden at home, just as beautiful as the rumors said. No wonder the General was so smitten.
“Dr. Shi, would you like to rest by the entrance? There’s hot tea to warm you up.” Wen Lan extended the invitation with a composed expression.
Shi Yuxing was getting restless in the car anyway, and he was curious about where Gu Lingzhou worked—it was his first time here, winding through these deep mountains to get there. He was also tired from work, so some hydration would be welcome.
But this man—Gu Lingzhou had told him to keep his distance.
It was as if a tiny, furious version of General Gu was grabbing his face and yelling: Don’t go over there, don’t go over there—roll up the window.
The moment he stepped out of the car, several pairs of eyes in the military zone never left him.
Shi Yuxing took the hot tea Wen Lan handed him. “Thanks.”
Wen Lan nodded slightly and found a seat. “What brought you here all of a sudden? This place isn’t easy to find, is it?”
Mindful of Gu Lingzhou’s warning, Shi Yuxing kept his distance. The warm tea in his hands reflected half of his lovely face. “He asked me to pick him up from work today, so I came.”
The answer caught Wen Lan off guard. A flicker of unwillingness passed through his eyes. “You two have such a good relationship. Dr. Shi, what’s your secret?”
“Hm?” Shi Yuxing’s lips lightly brushed the surface of the tea. “What do you mean?” He was sitting on a long bench. The man who had been on a separate chair got up and moved to the other end of the bench, each taking one side.
“Your relationship has become so close—I’m a little curious.” Wen Lan’s hand rested on the middle of the bench, his gaze shifting from his hand to the face he’d admired for so long. “Is Gu Lingzhou good to you? You’re an outstanding person—I think you deserve the best.”
Shi Yuxing tensed and stood up abruptly. Even though he knew Wen Lan had feelings for him, the probing and provoking undertone in his voice made his heart race a little. He regretted getting out of the car.
“Very good.” He hadn’t wanted to come down in the first place—Gu Lingzhou wouldn’t like him spending time with Wen Lan, and knowing about it would cause a scene. But he also felt he shouldn’t keep Gu Lingzhou in a state of constant anxiety. He needed to make it clear to Wen Lan that he wasn’t interested, and that he should stop doing things that would cause misunderstandings or drive a wedge between them.
At the same time, he was very curious—why exactly had Wen Lan’s gland been removed?
Wen Lan still wore a faint smile, tilting his head slightly. “What’s wrong? No need to rush—finish your tea before you go.”
“Deputy General Wen, I’d like to make something clear.” Shi Yuxing faced him directly, his tone polite but distant.
Wen Lan seemed to sense what he was about to say. The expression on his face didn’t change, but the warmth in his eyes suddenly faded. “I wouldn’t dare—I’m not on the same level as General Gu. Just call me Wen Lan.”
Shi Yuxing set down the cup—still full. “To me, you are only General Gu’s deputy. Nothing more. Please conduct yourself accordingly. I appreciate the care you’ve shown Gu Lingzhou over the years, and I’m grateful for the times you’ve delivered things on others’ behalf during those three years.”
His tea-colored eyes were resolute, like an immovable boulder. His words were appropriate, his refusal tactful, his meaning unmistakable.
The man on the bench paused, then bent his head with a smile. Even though he was smiling, Shi Yuxing could sense his embarrassment—an abstract language emanating from his body, difficult to describe.
Shi Yuxing knew his words were hurtful, but he didn’t spare any face. “I don’t like you. And for now—and probably for the foreseeable future—I still love my husband. I don’t see myself divorcing Gu Lingzhou anytime soon. I hope you find someone you truly love and who truly loves you in return… I won’t say anything more. Well then, Deputy General Wen—goodbye.”
With that, he turned and walked away. The moment he opened the door, the fir-scented pheromones that rushed in with the cold wind wrapped tightly around him.
Shi Yuxing instinctively reached out and hugged him. “How did you…”
Behind him, the other man still wouldn’t give up: “I can wait.”
The chest pressed against him vibrated. His ears were covered, and Gu Lingzhou’s curse nearly burst his eardrums: “Fuck! Wen Lan, I’ve been too nice to you!” Shi Yuxing patted his back. “Alright, let’s go.”
Wen Lan stood up, the light casting his shadow over the embracing pair. He said nothing, just looked calmly at Gu Lingzhou. “General, you should rein in your temper. No one can put up with that.”
Gu Lingzhou glared at him, hot breath hitting Shi Yuxing’s crown as the fir scent thickened. Shi Yuxing slapped him lightly, and the scent immediately receded. Gu Lingzhou let him go, his hands clenched tight. “He’s mine—I’ll say it again. Stay away from him. Wen. Lan.” The last two words were squeezed out through gritted teeth.
Wen Lan let out a light scoff, his aggressive gaze cut off by the door.
Shi Yuxing was dragged into the back seat. He expected Gu Lingzhou to be angry about him meeting Wen Lan, but what came before any accusation were Gu Lingzhou’s shimmering eyes: “Baby, can you say it again—that you like me?” Shi Yuxing knew he’d been eavesdropping outside and felt a surge of embarrassment and heat, awkwardly turning his head to avoid his burning gaze.
Hot, wet breath licked at him. He closed his eyes out of habit, letting the big dog on him get close. Shi Yuxing heard Gu Lingzhou’s confession again—all those blush-inducing words by his ear.
“Stop—enough.” Shi Yuxing’s eyes were rimmed with red as he looked at him, covering his mouth. Gu Lingzhou kissed his palm and obediently fell silent. But his burning gaze made Shi Yuxing want to disappear. He pushed himself up and looked toward the windshield. “Raised the flag.”
A meaningful laugh escaped Gu Lingzhou’s nose, making Shi Yuxing’s face even redder. He was pushed back down again. Gu Lingzhou kissed him as he pulled out his right hand. “Mm. I’m lowering it now.”
When the starship’s headlights finally came on, only the alpha sat upright and refreshed in the driver’s seat. A few crumpled white tissues lay in the footwell of the back row.
Leave a Reply