Chapter 42
Heard his voice in the Far-flung Region?
Shu Ci took two steps forward and tossed the shirt Lu Wanqing had left on the sofa onto his abdomen, covering a portion of the alluring waistline that had been illuminated by the moonlight. It was just enough to pull his captivated soul back from the brink.
Noticing Lu Wanqing’s hoarse voice, Shu Ci handed him the glass of water he hadn’t yet touched. He cleared his own throat and said, “Of course I’ve never been there.”
“I wasn’t asking you,” Lu Wanqing said, taking the glass and lowering his eyes.
He clutched a corner of the shirt, not putting it on immediately. Shu Ci’s proximity was making him feel even hotter.
Not him? Then he must have been asking the original owner of this body.
Shu Ci tilted his head, thinking. “He’s never been to the Far-flung Region either. I’ve been organizing his records at home recently, and there’s no mention of it in any of his travel logs from childhood to now.”
With the school semester about to start, Shu Ci was worried that the more people he met, the more likely he was to slip up. So, in between writing his proposal and training at home, he had gone through every piece of information the original owner had left behind. Neither his past movements nor the plot of the original book mentioned the Far-flung Region.
Lu Wanqing paused.
He watched as Shu Ci leaned casually against the arm of the sofa, stretching his legs out like a cat. The tips of their feet were very close. Looking at the ankles exposed beneath the cuffs of his loose pajama pants, Lu Wanqing slowly clenched his fists under the cover of the shirt.
“However,” Shu Ci added, “those are all records from after he was brought home by Shu Changze. I have no idea if he ever went there before that.”
Lu Wanqing thought back to the timeline. “It doesn’t add up.”
When Shu Ci was five, he hadn’t even gone to the Far-flung Region yet. And by the time of the mole incident, Shu Ci had long been established as a member of the Shu family, living in the central city.
“That is strange, then,” Shu Ci shrugged. “But at this point, nothing in this world would surprise me. Like that creature that was chasing me at sea the other day. Is that thing even supposed to exist? Is that reasonable?”
Lu Wanqing shook his head. “That was the first time I’d ever seen one. Its origin is a mystery. It’s still in the research phase, and the military is keeping it confidential.”
Another plot point that wasn’t in the original book!
Shu Ci’s mouth fell open, his brow furrowing. “No way. Are these all part of the butterfly effect I brought with me? No, wait. After General Yu switched his allegiance, Xingxing was saved by you, and Shen Lin took over as the head of his family and ran for councilor. All of that happened before I arrived.”
Lu Wanqing added for him, “The first appearance of those creatures also predates your arrival.”
“So it’s probably not my fault?” Shu Ci was quiet for a moment, then asked, “Does that thing eat people?”
A troubled look crossed Lu Wanqing’s face. The research institute had only just gotten its funding in order. Their progress was currently limited to determining how attractive Omegas were to the creatures. As for how dangerous they were, or the extent of the harm they could inflict… that was still unknown.
Besides, all of this was classified information. Even if he knew, he couldn’t speak freely.
“I was just asking casually. I’ve been holding back from asking because I was afraid of this exact situation. I get it if you can’t tell me.” Shu Ci could tell as much just from the look in his eyes. “I’m just angry. Dealing with Gu Lanzhu was bad enough, but lately, I keep dreaming about being chased by those disgusting things. It’s such a curse!”
Thanks to his own rich imagination and creativity, the creatures in his dreams were even more detailed, their movements more fluid. They drooled from their gaping maws, and when they devoured him, even the saliva on their teeth was crystal clear.
He even felt that if his dreams were made into a movie, they could blow all those so-called top-tier 3D special effects out of the water.
Lu Wanqing looked up at him. Seeing that he had suddenly reverted to his old fiery, explosive temper, the pressure and gloom in his own heart dissipated. A hint of warmth appeared in his eyes, and his voice softened. “And here I thought you weren’t afraid of anything.”
Shu Ci hesitated for a moment, then decided to throw caution to the wind in front of Lu Wanqing.
“…I am,” he admitted, scratching his hair. “But I’m past the age where I can afford to show fear. Strong emotions like that make it easy for people to find your weakness. Especially with Gu Lanzhu. My fear would become his leverage.”
Lu Wanqing gave him a thoughtful look, then stood up and quickly pulled on his shirt. He walked over to stand in front of him.
“I remember your last scene tomorrow is at the training grounds, right?”
He had been given a schedule of all the venues and roads that would be temporarily closed for filming. Lu Wanqing hadn’t even realized it himself, but with just one glance, he had memorized Shu Ci’s entire itinerary.
“I’ll be leading the training tomorrow. After you’re done filming, you can stay and observe—if you can handle it.”
Shu Ci looked at him in surprise. “Really?”
Lu Wanqing nodded. “So, get to bed early. I’m worried you won’t be able to handle it tomorrow.”
Puzzled, Shu Ci went back to his room and lay down, not quite understanding what Lu Wanqing meant. It wasn’t until the next day, after wrapping up his work, that he found out. Wiping sweat from his brow, he walked to the edge of the training grounds and was instantly hit by a wave of earth-shattering Alpha pheromones that made his legs tremble. This was what Lu Wanqing meant by “not being able to handle it.”
Unlike Gu Lanzhu’s shameless, seductive lure that exploited their unique compatibility, the Alphas on the training grounds all carried a fierce, murderous aura. The pheromones they released were saturated with killing intent.
The training grounds had a designated area for visitors or inspecting leaders, positioned so it wouldn’t interfere with the training while still offering a clear view of the front-row sparring. From this not-too-close, not-too-far distance, one group of Alphas, in order to suppress their sparring partners, mercilessly unleashed their dominance to the absolute limit. The other group resisted stubbornly, using all their strength to manifest their pheromones and defend themselves.
Immersed in their practice, they didn’t think anything of it. But for an Omega like Shu Ci, who had an instinctual fear of Alphas, it was like having countless heavy mountains pressing down on him.
Shu Ci cursed under his breath and shot a grateful look at Lu Wanqing’s back.
Through his practice over this period, Shu Ci had come to realize that training one’s pheromone abilities was all about constantly breaking through limits to achieve a qualitative change. At first, he couldn’t even manifest his pheromones. But after countless failed attempts, just as it was about to become muscle memory, he succeeded.
The same went for his attacks.
On Gu Lanzhu’s island, launching a single arrow in the room had left him exhausted. But when he was pushed to the brink by those disgusting creatures during his escape, he had managed to hold on until Lu Wanqing arrived, firing four arrows.
Shu Ci gripped the railing of the viewing platform, straightening his back to withstand the residual pressure. In the training grounds, he couldn’t release his own pheromones to fight back or even provoke Lu Wanqing like he did during their private sessions. He could only rely on his own physical body to overcome it.
Fear was a natural, conditioned response for an Omega’s body.
But he was a soul from another world. His will had been fighting against this instinct to submit from the very beginning. His will and his instinct began to diverge, entering a tug-of-war. Eventually, one would have to prevail.
When Gu Lanzhu had tried to bewitch him, he had been untrained. He could only let instinct overwhelm his will, craving that perfect, high-level compatibility like a puppet.
But now, at this carefully chosen distance, he was gradually getting used to this difficult struggle.
The limit of this tug-of-war was the victory of his own will.
Not only did Shu Ci not collapse under the pressure, but while struggling to hold on, he also gradually figured out the trick to it. He even managed to spare some of his focus to listen to Lu Wanqing’s training instructions.
Lu Wanqing wasn’t like the other instructors Shu Ci had seen, who would bark out harsh commands. He strolled between the groups of trainees, his voice gentle yet resonant as he pointed out their weaknesses.
His voice was loud enough for not just the sparring pair, but everyone present to hear.
This process was a dual test of body and mind for every group.
They had to filter out useless information from Lu Wanqing’s voice and capture what was relevant to them. They had to divide their attention to analyze, but not so much that they gave their opponent an opening.
The sparring trainees would instantly grasp his pointers and adjust their strategies on the spot.
Their opponents, upon hearing Lu Wanqing’s voice, had to predict the adjustments their partner would make and launch the best offense or defense.
This was the reality of actual combat. No one fought blindly. They had to be fully focused on the battle while also paying attention to any new orders from their superiors. They had to react to their opponent’s tactical changes while maintaining their own judgment and ability to execute.
Shu Ci’s gaze followed Lu Wanqing.
The part of his mind he had set aside gradually calmed, sensing the energy vibrations of their pheromones. The more he observed, the clearer things became. By the time Lu Wanqing had completed one circuit of the grounds, his perception had risen to a new level.
As Lu Wanqing moved through the field, his peripheral vision caught the slight redness in the corners of Shu Ci’s eyes and the bulging veins on his arms. A flicker of surprise and gratification passed through his gaze. An improvement in pheromone ability could sometimes bring about a change in one’s aura. The fear and impatience in Shu Ci’s eyes had lessened, replaced by a newfound confidence.
He truly had more aptitude than many of the Alphas present; he understood the purpose of having him observe.
Unlike those sheltered Omegas, Shu Ci didn’t care about his supple waist or whether his handsome face became contorted with effort. He was willing to forge his body in the fiercest fire. No matter how torturous the process, he was determined to sharpen the blade that could protect him.
But everyone has their limits.
Shu Ci felt he couldn’t hold on any longer. His grip on the railing faltered, and he stumbled back two steps before sinking to the ground. He pressed his temples and slowly lowered his head.
Lu Wanqing’s eyelid twitched. He walked from the ranks to the front of the formation and announced in a deep voice, “That’s all for today. Dismissed—”
Yu Xingxing, still pinned to the ground by Cui You and kicking his legs wildly, suddenly widened his eyes. He stared at the clock on the wall, which had just struck 12. “No way! Did the sun rise in the west? The boss is actually on time today? No extra training?!”
Cui You glanced up at the spectator stands and snorted with jealousy.
If he had known this was an option, he would bring his wife next time he was leading the training.
Shu Ci rested his forehead on his knees, burying his face and letting out a breath. Lu Wanqing’s voice echoed through the hall, sounding like a whisper from a god, and it made his shoulders tremble.
A moment later, a slight numbness spread from his waist.
Shu Ci looked up.
Before he could react, he was swept up into Lu Wanqing’s arms and carried out of the training grounds with the speed of the wind.
A faint, sweet scent wafted past the exit, and every Alpha on the field shuddered. Although they knew the general’s Omega was present today, they hadn’t detected his scent at all during the entire session.
How could an Omega conceal their pheromones so completely that they couldn’t sense them at all?!
Listening to their chatter, Yu Xingxing puffed out his chest with pride.
Brother Shu is capable of much more than that! he thought. Compared to you guys, the killing intent in his manifested pheromones is just as strong, okay?
“Wait, wait!” Shu Ci instinctively wrapped his arms around Lu Wanqing’s neck. By the time he came to his senses, he was already being carried into the infirmary.
Lu Wanqing’s eyes scanned the shelves, preparing to get him some nutritional supplements.
Just as he was about to put him down, he saw Shu Ci tighten his embrace.
“!” Lu Wanqing’s pupils shrank.
Along with that almost suffocating hug came Shu Ci’s surprised voice. “Lu Wanqing, I don’t think it hurts as much anymore! What about you?”
Before, there had been a physical repulsion, a pain like countless tiny needles pricking him whenever they touched, as if they were piercing straight into his heart. But now, the feeling of rejection had faded. The pain was less frequent, and the sharp stabs had become a dull ache that took a moment to even register.
“Mm,” Lu Wanqing said, supporting his waist and nodding gravely.
After a moment of silence, he said, “Let go first. I’ll put you down so you can lie down for a bit.”
The fact that the pain had lessened had only surprised him for an instant before being replaced by fear.
Even when constrained by that piercing pain, he had harbored those insane thoughts. Even seeing his ankle had made him want to hold it in his hand. What would happen if that pain disappeared entirely?
Lu Wanqing set Shu Ci down and turned to get the medicine.
He kept his back to the person on the bed, hiding the storm in his eyes.
There could be many reasons for the pain to fade. Perhaps his tolerance threshold had increased. It didn’t necessarily mean their compatibility had changed. He wanted to test it with him again sometime. If their compatibility was still 1%, it would be better for him to leave as soon as possible.
He was well aware of the demon that lurked in his heart. Without the restraint of pain, he didn’t know what he might do.
Lu Wanqing grabbed two vials of supplements, clutching them in his hand.
He turned around and met Shu Ci’s eager, sparkling eyes.
He stretched out his arms, his eyes bright as he looked at him. “Can we try hugging one more time?”
Author’s Note:
Lu Wanqing: Wifey is trying to seduce me again.
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