Beneath the gray planet, An Bao exhaled a long stream of smoke. He held the cigarette between his lips, fidgeting with a lighter in his hand. The wind on this planet carried a sour tang, making An Bao pull the cigarette from his mouth and curse. The frustration of the mission, combined with this god-awful environment, put him in a foul mood—he really wanted to find someone to chew out.
He stubbed out the cigarette and dialed a number.
“Is Tang Jue awake yet?”
“Captain, still unconscious.”
“Alright. Contact me the moment there’s any news.”
He turned off his phone and reached for another cigarette—but came up empty. Damn. How long had it been? A whole pack was already gone. He rubbed his tired eyes. He should cut back—definitely wouldn’t buy any next time he passed a shop.
Staring with bloodshot eyes from a sleepless night, he thought for a moment, then hailed a starship.
“Driver, is there a black market around here?”
The scar on his face made him look severe and intimidating. The driver flinched, swallowing nervously. “B-big brother, I don’t know anything about any black market.” His eyes in the rearview mirror darted around, trembling. “M-maybe you should ask someone else? I’ll cancel the ride—no charge.”
An Bao took a deep breath and flashed his badge. “I’m a police officer. Not the kind of person you think.”
Even so, the driver remained wary.
“I’m just asking if you know about a black market in this area.” An Bao didn’t have time for this. He clicked his tongue impatiently. “If you know, take me there.”
…
“Over there—walk about a hundred meters and turn the corner. There’s a small street with lots of stalls.” The driver licked his lips, relaxing slightly. “I’ve heard it’s a black market. They use code words—if you don’t match the code, they just sell normal stuff. If you do…”
An Bao narrowed his eyes. “You seem to know a lot. Have you been there?”
“Officer, I’m a law-abiding citizen.” The driver’s gaze was firm. Then he swallowed. “I… I’ve just heard people talk about it. They say that place is a den of wolves—unless you have connections, they won’t sell to you.”
An Bao got out and followed the driver’s directions into the alley. Sure enough, in the middle of the street, there were clusters of small stalls and vendors. Aside from them, he was the only person around. Hands in his pockets, he looked like he was going in alone—but he’d already activated his locator and emergency alert device.
Before he even reached the first stall, a heavily made-up man with a hot figure sidled up to him. An Bao caught the whiff of cheap pheromones—so bitter. Was he an omega?
The omega pressed against him, grabbing his wrist. An Bao didn’t even frown, but a wave of disgust churned inside him.
“Big brother, I haven’t seen you around before. What are you looking to buy? My pork is fresh—want some…” As he spoke, the bitter scent drilled even harder into An Bao’s nose. An Bao’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Big or small?”
The omega’s eyes, painted with green and purple eyeshadow, held a shrewd glint. “Around here, we don’t sell pork by size—we sell by the pound.”
An Bao scanned the area, fighting back the acid rising in his stomach. The stalls on both sides had people of various skin tones, mostly white. They all appeared to be working, but those gazes were tangible, boring into him like he was a target.
Not the look of a customer—but the look of a product being appraised.
His gut told him—if he went in, he might not come back out.
“Big brother~ come play at my place, won’t you? Look at you, all sweaty.” The omega reached up to wipe the faint sheen off his forehead, then let out a low chuckle by his ear. “My place is right nearby.”
An Bao looked down at the omega, then lifted his gaze to glance at the stall.
A figure flickered past. The next second, An Bao’s pupils contracted sharply. That person had a patch over his left eye, phoenix-shaped eyes, and a buzz cut.
·
Shi Yuxing rubbed his chin. Finally, a weekend—he paced back and forth in the living room, holding a small meeting.
General Gu had been recalled for duty, leaving only him and the other two alphas at home.
After a moment of thought, he stopped in front of the coffee table and said to the two alphas staring at him on the sofa: “We’re going to the Old Mansion this afternoon.”
Both alphas froze, then realized what he was planning. Xiao Zhou stood up. “Who are you taking?”
Shi Yuxing saw right through him. “Both of you. I need you.”
Da Ling pushed up his glasses. “What do you need us to do?”
Shi Yuxing rubbed his face. When he looked down, his lashes looked thick and long, fluttering like falling crow feathers.
“After three o’clock, Grandmother has an interview that should last about two hours. Here’s my idea—we sneak into the Old Mansion first, then draw the butler away. For example, Xiao Zhou and I keep an eye on the butler’s movements, while you go explore the West Wing. We split up and stay in contact by phone.”
His tea-colored eyes sparkled—clearly satisfied with his plan.
The man on the sofa spun his ring. “There are hidden cameras inside the Old Mansion—they might expose us.” Shi Yuxing straightened up—he’d forgotten about that. Only a few corners of the entire mansion were without surveillance.
Xiao Zhou spoke up: “There’s a security room in the West Wing. I ran over to see it when I was little. Not sure if it’s still in use now.”
“Mm. I’ll go pull the plug on the surveillance room first.” Da Ling crossed his arms. “What time do we leave?”
The hands on the wall clock silently moved from two to three.
The Old Mansion covered a vast area. If they wanted to avoid being spotted at the entrance, they’d have to scale the high-voltage electric fence to evade the guards at the gate. But setting aside the risk of being fried to a crisp—even if they somehow made it over, it would be dark by the time they reached the residential area.
The three ultimately decided to just walk in openly.
After parking the starship, Shi Yuxing looked at the two masked men. “Take off your rings for now. Try not to let anyone distinguish between you.” Before leaving, he’d made sure the two wore identical outfits.
Da Ling unbuckled his seatbelt. “I need to use the restroom first.”
Shi Yuxing was uneasy and told Xiao Zhou to wait in the car—they’d come back for him later. He looped his arm through the alpha’s solid one. “Are you okay? Stomach issues?”
The alpha shook his head, his eyes curving. Only after he took off his glasses did Shi Yuxing notice—the crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes seemed deeper.
“I caught a slight chill the past few days. Stomach’s been bothering me.” The older man’s voice sounded the same as usual, but listening closely, Shi Yuxing could detect a tremor in some syllables.
Shi Yuxing frowned. “You’re lying.”
His tone carried displeasure.
The 32-year-old Gu Lingzhou let out a soft laugh. “Really, it’s nothing. Just getting older—a few small issues come with it.”
Shi Yuxing said nothing. Just before the alpha disappeared into the restroom, he said: “Gu Lingzhou, you should be as honest as Xiao Zhou. Then I’d spoil you more.”
The alpha’s steps halted abruptly. “Okay.”
A red carpet covered the floor. The chandelier above danced with specks of light in the sunlight. This corridor was long—past it lay the banquet hall. Shi Yuxing leaned against the wall, pulled out his phone, and wondered whether he should let the one in the military know.
The top of the screen showed the contact “Gu Lingzhou.” The last message was from yesterday, when he’d picked him up from work.
Just then, a call popped up at the top of the screen. The caller was—
Grandmother!!!
Even though it was expected, Shi Yuxing couldn’t help the tremor in his heart. The moment they’d entered the Old Mansion, they were already operating within her field of view.
Shi Yuxing answered, putting on an obedient tone: “Grandmother.”
“Xingxing, why didn’t you say anything when you came? I only found out when they notified me.”
“Sorry. We happened to pass by and thought we hadn’t visited you in a while.”
Grandmother’s voice came through the phone first, then Shi Yuxing faintly heard footsteps—growing closer—along with her breathing and voice from the other end. His heartbeat quickened suddenly. His tea-colored eyes drifted toward the source of the sound.
Behind him came the sound of rushing water from the pipes. Along with Gu Lingzhou, he also saw Kolia in her extravagant gown.
Kolia wore an extremely ostentatious hat—a large black brim studded with emeralds—as she slowly walked toward them. “Lingzhou.”
Gu Lingzhou grabbed Shi Yuxing’s hand. His palm was damp and cold, but it gave Shi Yuxing a sense of reassurance.
“Why didn’t you say anything when you came back?” Grandmother stood before the two of them, eyeing Gu Lingzhou’s mask. “Do you have a cold?”
A steady, cold voice: “Mm. We happened to pass by, thought we’d stop in. We’ll be leaving soon.”
“Leaving? No, come have tea with me.”
Shi Yuxing was about to make a sound when Gu Lingzhou pressed him back, shaking his head slightly. Shi Yuxing lowered his head and let himself be led along.
The one forgotten in the starship waited anxiously, occasionally peeking out to observe the situation outside.
His phone screen lit up. He checked it eagerly—and was struck as if by lightning.
What did it mean that Grandmother had caught them, and he had to go scout the West Wing alone?
The young alpha stared at the message, refreshing it several times in disbelief. Wasn’t he supposed to go with his wife? How had it suddenly become a solo mission!
His fingertips had just touched the keyboard when he remembered Shi Yuxing’s warning not to reply casually. He forcibly suppressed the urge.
He had to stay calm. Even though he’d been sent here during the time when his parents were still alive and had been force-fed a lot of future information, leaving his mind in a jumble—he was still Gu Lingzhou. Those two were so outstanding—he couldn’t let his future selves look down on him.
The 18-year-old looked at his darkened phone screen, which reflected his half-covered face.
If what they said was true—maybe one day, when he went back, he could save his parents.
The starship door opened from the back row. The alpha, filled with determination yet moving stealthily, stepped onto the ground.
Before he could close the door, a voice from behind said, “Young Master,” freezing him in place.
“Young Master, why are you back?” The butler had appeared out of nowhere behind him.
Gu Lingzhou slowly turned around, lying: “I… just missed home.”
“Would you like to go to the lounge now, Young Master?”
Gu Lingzhou looked at this old man past fifty—who had served as the Gu family butler for as long as he could remember, helping Grandmother manage the household. His emotions were conflicted. This man stood by Grandmother’s side—how much blood had stained his hands over the years?
“Young Master?”
Gu Lingzhou snapped back. “Ah,” he took a deep breath, “go ahead with your work. I’ll go myself.”
He couldn’t get tangled up with the butler. The situation was too complicated—having two Gu Lingzhous appear in the Old Mansion at the same time would be disastrous if discovered.
“Very well. Be careful, Young Master. Don’t get hurt.” With that, the butler turned and walked away in his leather shoes.
Watching him leave, Gu Lingzhou looked around, let out a breath of relief, and headed toward the West Wing.
In the shadows at the corner, a lens peeked out, reflecting white light.
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