Becoming the Abused Omega and Conquering the Hidden Alpha chapter 63

Chapter 63

“Captain Little Yu, if you keep accelerating blindly without accounting for the wind direction and current speed, the maintenance team is going to burst in here crying!”

“Who says I’m ignoring it?”

Yu Xingxing pulled up the monitoring data for every section of the hull while simultaneously scanning the map. The dynamic data of the destination waters and the route there took shape in his mind as his fingers flew across the control panel, making rapid adjustments.

It wasn’t his first time navigating waters with anomalous pressure fronts; he could practically control the degree of equipment damage down to a tee.

But this time, the resistance from the waves felt exceptionally intense.

Although the data showed no issues, the teammates in the cabin—who were usually accustomed to his aggressive driving style—were feeling nauseous and groaning in misery.

“Weird.”

As he operated the controls, he muttered to himself, “If the mission hadn’t just come down, yours truly would have been out at sea looking for the Boss ages ago. Who waits for this kind of ghost weather?”

When Cui You returned and described the situation in the Far-flung Third District—hearing the details of how Lu Wanqing had spent days fighting mutant creatures while simultaneously battling his own rut—Yu Xingxing had been on tenterhooks for days.

This support mission was a direct order from the Marshal. Without a second word, he had geared up and set off, engaging stealth mode to race through the ocean like the wind.

This drive tested his mental focus more than any before; sweat had completely soaked through the back of his shirt.

It wasn’t until the Chen family’s Moon Shadow cruise ship appeared in his field of vision that he finally let out a breath.

“There are people on the water next to the cruise ship!” The sentry post spotted the situation immediately and synced the visual feed to Yu Xingxing.

Yu Xingxing’s eyes went wide. “Boss and… Brother Shu?!”

Two embracing figures were slowly rising from the sea surface without any external aid. However, the pheromone detection alarm received by the sentry suggested a problem.

“That’s not General Lu’s pheromone wavelength.”

“Could General Lu be… being held hostage?!”

“Captain, should we stop and prepare for a rescue—”

The ship suddenly shuddered, smashing through the waves as it accelerated forward.

“No, is there something wrong with your brains?!”

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Yu Xingxing gritted his teeth and shouted over the comms channel, “Hostage my ass! Get ready to welcome the General and his spouse!”

Shu Ci was nearly exhausted, trying to fly them above the cruise ship’s platform to toss Lu Wanqing up. His glands were burning, forcing him to cast aside the earlier tenderness and teasing as he pushed past his limits once again.

He carefully controlled the wings, finding his balance amidst the wind and rain, his knuckles turning white from gripping Lu Wanqing so tightly.

The second they neared the ship’s hull, a grappling hook flew straight toward them from the distance.

Lu Wanqing abruptly wrapped his arm around Shu Ci, using the last of his lucid consciousness to shield him. He spoke with difficulty, “Retract… your pheromones.”

He had detected Yu Xingxing’s scent on the rope.

Reinforcements had arrived.

But with this sky-filling scent of plum blossoms, it would be hard to guarantee those greenhorns wouldn’t go into a frenzy.

Shu Ci didn’t understand. “But we’ll fall!”

“We won’t.” The grappling hook coiled around Lu Wanqing’s leg. His knee jerked forward from the inertia, and his ears instantly turned red.

Lu Wanqing paused, then said hoarsely, “It’s Yu Xingxing. Trust me.”

Trust me.

He said those two words with a tone of desperate pleading.

Shu Ci’s gaze deepened.

Without another word, he abruptly retracted his pheromones. The beautiful wings vanished in an instant.

The two of them plummeted vertically, locked in an embrace.

Clang—

At the same time, something heavy landed on the deck.

Shu Ci narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze following the sound. The last few wisps of his floating pheromones twitched, quietly hooking the object that had fallen onto the deck and pulling it over.

The moment his hand grasped the object, the pheromones completely retracted.

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Then, in the blink of an eye, the rope dragged them several nautical miles away from the cruise ship.

The violent wind and rain smashed against their faces.

Shu Ci was trying to force himself to adapt to the cold when he felt a sudden warmth against his ear. He looked sideways and realized it was actually Lu Wanqing’s lips.

In the chaos, a flush of red rose on his cheeks.

The moment his feet landed firmly on solid ground, Shu Ci quickly reined in his emotions. He wiped the rain from his face and saw a row of people standing before him in uniform.

They clicked their heels together, standing tall and proud.

Saluting in perfect military posture, they shouted, “General Lu!”

Alphas. They were all Alphas.

Lu Wanqing’s sensitive nerves spiked with a surge of hostility.

The corners of his eyes trembled. A wave of pheromones pressed outward, signaling the precursor to a rampage.

“Everyone inside,” he growled, his voice low.

His body unconsciously leaned back, his fingertips curling as he tried to shield the light of his world, his Omega.

The crew looked at each other in dismay.

“Go back, go back, go do what you’re supposed to do.”

Yu Xingxing stomped over quickly, dragging the ship’s doctor—who had just swallowed a seasickness pill—with him. “Our General has overdosed on suppressants during his rut. Check him immediately.”

Shu Ci stood there, his arms hanging limply, exhausted.

He watched as two doctors coordinated to pull the semi-conscious Lu Wanqing away from him, coaxing and maneuvering him onto a stretcher.

But Lu Wanqing fought to keep his consciousness, his eyes forced open a slit. His hands gripped the stretcher, veins bulging on the back of his hands, as he stared fixedly at Shu Ci.

Shu Ci rubbed his head.

Without needing to be taught, he spoke up, “Rest well. I’m not going anywhere.”

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The Alpha’s fingers finally relaxed. Gazing at him, Lu Wanqing slowly closed his eyes.

“Brother Shu.” Yu Xingxing looked at Shu Ci’s soaked shirt, took off his own jacket, and handed it to him.

“No need. Just find me two sets of clean clothes. If he wakes up and smells your scent on me, he might go on a rampage again.”

Shu Ci waved his hand to decline.

Then, lowering his voice, he said, “We fought off two waves of mutant creatures. Arrange patrols to prevent them from appearing again. While you’re at it, have someone salvage the carcass remains to take back for research.”

When Lu Wanqing led the disaster relief team, only Yu Xingxing had stayed behind at the main command center with Marshal He. He was one of the few who knew about Shu Ci’s secret involvement with the research institute’s experiments.

At this moment, Shu Ci’s voice was serious and organized, as if he were conveying Lu Wanqing’s own orders. It brooked no refusal.

“Yes, sir.” Yu Xingxing put his jacket back on. Without hesitating, he turned and strode off to arrange the manpower.

Shu Ci dried off and tidied up in a private changing room. Only then did he have the time to look at the item he had secretly swiped from the deck.

It was a mobile phone with a completely shattered screen.

Shu Ci’s eyelid twitched, and he gripped the phone tighter.

Did someone stay awake and secretly witness him and Lu Wanqing killing the mutants from the deck?

Whether the battery was dead or the device was broken, Shu Ci tried several times but couldn’t get it to turn on.

Yu Xingxing asked the maintenance team on his behalf, and they said it would take about a night to fix.

The unease in his heart wouldn’t dissipate. Unconsciously, he walked to the door of the medical bay.

“Mr. Shu.” The doctor came out, habitually heading toward the command cabin, but upon seeing Shu Ci, he realized the General’s family was right here.

“How is he?” Shu Ci asked.

Maintaing excellent professionalism, the doctor explained everything in detail—from the lowered defenses caused by the rut to the stimulation from the drug overdose, as well as the indicators to be checked in follow-up visits.

“In short, General Lu needs proper rest right now,” the doctor said with a frown. “The environment on this patrol ship isn’t suitable for an Alpha recovering from such stimulation. If possible, I suggest taking him back to the cruise ship. The view is open, and the food and water supply can guarantee proper nutrition.”

“Okay.” Shu Ci nodded.

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“I’ll go in and see him. Please inform Captain Little Yu as well.”

Monitoring cables were connected to Lu Wanqing’s fingers and chest. The rising and falling lines and data displayed the Alpha’s vitals.

Shu Ci couldn’t understand them; he could only vaguely judge good from bad based on the red and green colors.

This man… aside from looking thin, there were no visible ailments or obvious wounds on his exterior.

So how did he torture himself into this state?

Shu Ci sat down beside Lu Wanqing.

He raised his hand and gently brushed over Lu Wanqing’s brow.

Lu Wanqing had fallen into a deep sleep, but it wasn’t a peaceful one. His brows were tightly knit, as if trapped in a desperate situation.

His lips moved slightly, as if murmuring something in his sleep.

Shu Ci leaned down, listening for a long time, but couldn’t make out the words.

Knock, knock—

The door to the medical bay was tapped. Yu Xingxing had sent someone to call him.

Shu Ci tucked the quilt around Lu Wanqing, then turned to leave.

The moment the door clicked shut heavily, the Alpha on the bed finally murmured aloud in his dream.

“I already have… the best.”

“…It’s just that I… am not worthy.”

In the command room, Shu Ci held the hot tea Yu Xingxing handed him.

“The rain has stopped. According to the research data estimates, there shouldn’t be any more mutant creatures,” Yu Xingxing said, stealing glances at Shu Ci. “If you want to take the General back to the cruise ship, it’s best to do it before daybreak.”

“Don’t let your guard down,” Shu Ci said softly.

“Have you forgotten how he ended up in this state? Those silver-white creatures are more cunning and intelligent.”

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Yu Xingxing’s face instantly turned serious.

He turned and picked up a transparent box from the table, handing it to Shu Ci. “Just now, when we were salvaging the remains of the silver creatures, we found these things stuck within the body tissues of several of the severed carcasses.”

Shu Ci glanced at it, his pupils constricting slightly.

“Can I take these remains onto the ship?”

“That might be…”

Yu Xingxing shook his head awkwardly. “There are too many people on the cruise ship. If… I can take a photo for you. That’s fine. But the actual objects need to be sealed and sent to the research institute.”

“Okay, that works.” Shu Ci murmured, taking a small sip of tea. “Arrange for Lu Wanqing and me to board the ship as soon as possible.”

Yu Xingxing nodded.

He hopped onto the comms channel and communicated quickly. Everything was ready; they were just waiting for the last few dozen milliliters of Lu Wanqing’s IV drip to finish.

Despite Yu Xingxing’s loud and boisterous demeanor, moving the two of them onto the cruise ship was like assassins infiltrating an empty void.

Holding his breath, Shu Ci pointed toward Shen Lin’s private floor.

Yu Xingxing carried Lu Wanqing up, with Shu Ci following closely behind.

“Tomorrow, we’ll find an excuse to talk to the cruise captain to cover the situation. You don’t need to worry about tonight’s surveillance or anything like that,” Yu Xingxing said before leaving, after setting Lu Wanqing down.

Just as he finished speaking, Shu Ci heard the sound of Shen Lin getting up and knocking on the door.

He nodded. “Help me put his medicine in the drawer. I’ll be over in a moment.”

Shu Ci walked quickly toward Shen Lin’s room.

As the door lock clicked shut, Yu Xingxing heard a deep voice resonate from within the dark room he was in.

“‘Don’t need to worry about anything’? Is that how I taught you to make blind promises?”

Yu Xingxing jumped, startled.

Meeting the Boss’s dark, profound pupils in the darkness, he shivered. “I was just afraid Brother Shu would be nervous.”

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“Nervous?” Lu Wanqing laughed hoarsely. “His one-hit-kill accuracy tonight nearly caught up to mine. What does he have to be nervous about?”

Lu Wanqing closed his eyes, raising a hand to clutch his chest.

He knew perfectly well that there was no possibility between Shu Ci and Shen Lin, and he knew no romantic feelings could grow between them. Yet, when he woke up just now and heard Shu Ci walking toward Shen Lin’s room, an uncontrollable wave of sour bitterness still surged in his chest.

With the rut receding and the side effects cleared, now that he had returned to sobriety, he could no longer commit such undignified, offensive acts of possessiveness.

Acts like pressing his lips against the other’s ear.

“By the way, Cui You might be getting a divorce.”

Yu Xingxing didn’t want to be chased back to the ship to work immediately, so he decided to wait for Shu Ci to return before leaving. He dawdled, sitting down to gossip with his Boss, who had been out of contact for days.

Lu Wanqing frowned. “So suddenly?”

Yu Xingxing shook his head. “It seems Little Mr. Shen [Shen Ti] started a company outside and has been running around for it. When the elders of the Cui family went to visit Cui You, they found their own child vacationing at home alone watering flowers. They got angry and forced him to stop the company business and come home to keep Cui You company.”

Lu Wanqing’s eyes flickered. “And then?”

“Little Mr. Shen’s temper flared up instantly. He refused the Cui family elders, had an argument with them, and moved back to the Shen residence on his own. Cui You’s mother had a meal with my father two days ago, saying she wanted him to switch to a more obedient wife.”

“They dare to offend the Shen family right now?”

The Cui family’s influence in the military had waned in recent years; they were on a downhill slope. Cui You was the most presentable figure of this generation.

When the Cui-Shen marriage alliance was set, it was meant to be mutually beneficial. Now that Shen Lin was thriving and gaining fame, with hopes of running for Chief Executive, shouldn’t the Cui family be clinging to this golden thigh?

“Uh, I heard Shen Ti made a threat. If the Cui family dares to interfere with his work, they shouldn’t even dream of him having children for Cui You.”

Lu Wanqing raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me Cui You’s mother wants to swap for an Omega from the Shen family to be her daughter-in-law.”

“Boss, you’re sharp! The family really has that intention.” Yu Xingxing nodded heavily. “Brother Cui has always listened to his family. If he…”

Next door.

Shen Lin turned on a desk lamp, examining the photos Shu Ci had given him.

In the center of the body tissue adhered to the severed gut of some creature, a piece of old metal was hidden.

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He took out his own pocket watch and placed it next to the photo. The light in his eyes dimmed instantly.

The pattern on the watch face matched the pattern in the photo perfectly.

He had commissioned someone to make those specifically for them to give to Song Shiyu. They had one each—a unique design in this world.

Not many bodies or belongings had been recovered from the accident back then. Over the years, he had always held onto a sliver of wishful hope—

What if they survived?

Shu Ci’s appearance seemed to have kindled a spark of will in him.

But that spark collapsed in this instant.

“This is her pocket watch.” Shen Lin put that photo away, pointed to another one, and pushed it toward Shu Ci. “This is Uncle Song’s pinky ring. I recognize it.”

Shen Lin’s vision blurred.

Their personal items were deep inside the bellies of these creatures.

Then Uncle Song and Shiyu… how were they dragged into the abyss back then, eaten piece by piece, swallowed bit by bit?

“You should go back and rest. I want to be alone,” Shen Lin said softly, massaging his temple as he asked his guest to leave.

His fingertips pressed hard against the pocket watch in the photo.

Shu Ci sighed internally, helped him close the door, and looked down at the photo hiding Song Zhiyuan’s pinky ring, studying it again and again.

He walked to the door of his own room and suddenly heard Lu Wanqing’s low, husky voice drifting indistinctly from inside.

“…He must have a mind of his own… Divorce is a given, it just depends on whether the other party wants a decent resolution.”

Shu Ci froze in place.

His pupils trembled slightly.

Lu Wanqing wanted a divorce? Why couldn’t he say it directly to him?

When have I, Shu Ci, ever not been decent?