Part 3
He hadn’t just dug out the emitter; he had also temporarily cut the connection between himself and the organization. Through this extreme method, he had bought a bit of precious time for himself and for Jiang Zhaosheng.
Although he knew this was just “drinking poison to quench thirst” (a temporary fix). The organization would soon notice the abnormality.
But at least in this moment, he chose to defy his orders.
Fate had almost made him lose his beloved forever. This time, Qin Yichuan chose to stand by Jiang Zhaosheng’s side.
Jiang Zhaosheng stared at him blankly, looking at this man who had been against him since childhood and who had made him feel both annoyed and troubled.
The pale face, the constantly bleeding wounds, the faint but familiar lemon soda scent…
The water in the bathtub was gradually tinted with a very pale pink.
Qin Yichuanās body swayed, seemingly unable to hold on any longer. The dizziness from excessive blood loss swept over him. He suddenly reached out to brace himself against the edge of the bathtub to avoid falling into the water.
“You…” Jiang Zhaosheng finally found his voice, “…you lunatic.”
Hearing this, Qin Yichuan looked up and flashed him a somewhat roguish smile, exactly like how he looked after every scolding in their youth.
“…Hurry up and get out! Do you want to die in my bathtub?!”
The Alpha’s unfocused gaze struggled to focus on his face, as if trying to confirm if he was truly angry.
Unable to tell, Qin Yichuan moved closer, kissing Jiang Zhaosheng’s forehead across the air and mumbling:
“…Don’t be angry… it got dirty… I’ll… clean up…”
Even at a time like this, he was still talking about this.
Most of Qin Yichuanās weight was still pressed against the edge of the bathtub. He was half-kneeling and half-slumping there, his heavy breathing fanning against Jiang Zhaoshengās chest, struggling to release pheromones.
He still remembered Jiang Zhaosheng’s “special” body; a faint lemon soda scent was still trying to wrap around him. Jiang Zhaosheng froze slightly.
“…Qin Yichuan?”
Only the sound of suppressed breathing answered him.
He had truly fainted.
Only the sound of dripping water remained in the bathroom. Jiang Zhaosheng looked at the hairy, blood-stained head before him, and then at his own blood-stained hand.
Shen Qimingās forces would soon return. And here, there was a “lunatic” who had just self-mutilated, been seriously injured, and defected from the organization, needing treatment.
Qin Yichuan couldn’t die here.
He used his shoulder to push away Qin Yichuanās heavy body, letting him slowly slide down onto the cold floor tiles of the bathroom. Blood immediately surged from the wound on Qin Yichuan’s neck, spreading across the floor.
Jiang Zhaosheng climbed out of the bathtub and found his communicator. His contact list slid past name after name, finally stopping on a number that hadn’t been dialed in a long timeāBai Yu.
A “doctor” who stayed outside of the organization and had his own set of rules and methods. Jiang Zhaosheng couldn’t say his friendship with him was deep, as he was also an Alpha who had once expressed a certain interest in him.
Looking for him carried a great risk, but right now, it was the only choice.
The call went through, and a lazy, slightly magnetic voice came from the other side, with soft jazz music in the background.
“How rare… you’re actually taking the initiative to find me?”
“Bai Yu,” Jiang Zhaosheng interrupted the other’s teasing, “I need your help. Now. Immediately.”
“Oh?” Bai Yu’s tone grew more interested. “Doesn’t sound like a small matter. And the reward?”
“…I’ll send you the address. If you’re not here within ten minutes, wait to collect my corpse.” Jiang Zhaosheng gave the address and cut the call before the other could respond.
Bai Yu arrived faster than expected.
The door was opened silently, and a tall man in a sophisticated trench coat walked in.
As soon as he entered, the rich scent of blood and mixed pheromones caused the smile on Bai Yu’s face to vanish instantly, his brow furrowing slightly.
“Xiao Jiang, as a doctor I must remind you… having a group of people over to ‘party’ at home isn’t a good habit.”
His gaze first fell on Qin Yichuan, who was collapsed in a pool of blood. Disgust flashed in his eyes, and he then turned to Jiang Zhaosheng, who was leaning against the wall, pale-faced and soaked through.
“Wow,” Bai Yu whistled, his tone exaggerated. “Truly… a spectacular scene. So, did you all go too far with your alphabet games?”
He paced inside, ignoring the Qin Yichuan on the floor and walking straight to Jiang Zhaosheng. He extended a finger, seemingly wanting to touch Jiang Zhaosheng’s face.
Jiang Zhaosheng turned his head away and pointed at Qin Yichuan on the floor:
“Not me. Save him.”
Bai Yu’s hand paused in mid-air, and his smile faded:
“Xiao Jiang, you called me here for him?”
“Save him,” Jiang Zhaosheng repeated. “Name your terms.”
Bai Yu stared at him for a few seconds before suddenly laughing. “Including you?”
Jiang Zhaosheng’s lips were pressed tight; he said nothing.
Bai Yu let out a sneer and finally deigned to squat down to examine Qin Yichuan’s injuries. When he saw the ghastly wound at the back of the neck, he sucked in a breath of cold air:
“Digging out a gland with bare hands? That’s wild… I assume it was for you?”
He looked up and gave Jiang Zhaosheng a meaningful look.
“Can you save him?” Jiang Zhaosheng avoided his question.
“He won’t die,” Bai Yu said in a cold tone, taking out instruments from the medical kit he brought and beginning to treat the wound with practiced but far from gentle movements. “The gland is severely damaged. It’s hard to say if the pheromones can recover. He’s lucky he didn’t injure major blood vessels or the central nervous system…”
“Of courseāI think it’s better if it’s ruined. It’s more peaceful.”
During the process, Bai Yu’s pheromonesāthe scent of some kind of metalāunintentionally drifted about.
The unconscious Qin Yichuan on the floor seemed to sense it. Even with no awareness, his body instinctively tensed up, and a blurred, threatening low growl came from his throat. That faint hint of lemon scent also suddenly became sharp, filled with rejection and hostility, stubbornly fighting against the external Alpha’s aura.
Bai Yu’s movements paused. He raised an eyebrow and then maliciously released even more pheromones, sneering:
“Still has such a strong sense of territory even when unconscious? What a food-protecting vicious dog.”
“Bai Yu.” Jiang Zhaosheng couldn’t help but stop him.
The man shrugged his shoulders and reigned in his pheromones, but his tone remained mocking:
“Don’t worry. I have no interest in torturing a half-dead dog.”
He quickly stopped Qin Yichuan’s bleeding and applied initial bandages.
Having finished, he stood up and used a clean handkerchief to unhurriedly wipe his hands. He looked at Jiang Zhaosheng:
“Alright, his life is hanging on for now. Now, let’s talk about my ‘reward’?”
His gaze fell on Jiang Zhaosheng once more:
“I never do a losing business.”
Jiang Zhaosheng looked away, his expression weary.
“I want to know, for him, just how far are you willing to go, darling?”
[Authorās Note: Jiang Zhaosheng: 0. Jiang Zhaosheng: I mean 0 steps. So what if I’m a free-loader? That day’s “squid” (stalling) was because of… (Author’s joke)]
Translator’s Note: “Drinking poison to quench thirst” (é„®éø©ę¢ęø“ – yĒnzhĆØnzhĒkÄ) is a common idiom for a short-sighted solution that only leads to more trouble. Bai Yu’s scent of metal is quite unique for an Alpha! Qin Yichuan’s self-mutilation to protect Jiang Zhaosheng shows just how deep his obsession goes. Stay tuned!
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