Chapter 18: The Losers and the Lucky Dog
The conflict between Wen Zheng and He Qianyu intensified under Jiang Zhaosheng’s deliberate indulgence.
He wasn’t actually interested in watching this boring brawl. His fingers, tucked in his coat pockets, unconsciously rubbed a plain ring—the one Shang Yan had given him.
Not long ago, at Shang Yan’s residence.
“…Zhaozhao, what do you think this is?”
After he had “fed” the cats and bathed, Shang Yan had pressed him from behind, his warm breath brushing against his ear as he whispered:
“This is an entrance ticket. Do you want to know how your information… fell into my hands?”
“An auction.”
Jiang Zhaosheng looked up abruptly, the movement so large that Shang Yan’s mountain-like body pressed down behind him—this caused him to sink heavily into the soft bedding again, his hair flying up and bringing a scent of fragrance.
“Think I’m using a ring to propose to you?” Shang Yan spoke jokingly, one hand firmly pressing the back of his neck, giving it a suggestive, gentle squeeze. “—Tell me, how could a master fall in love with a pet?”
Jiang Zhaosheng accurately pinched the nerve at the man’s elbow, turning his head sharply. A few strands of long hair stuck to his cheek. His always cold blue-green eyes were currently misty with water vapor, looking over through the haze.
What surprised him was that Shang Yan’s face didn’t hold malice or hatred, but a kind of unquestionable… adoration—no different from any man who had fallen in love.
Too lazy to delve into the reasons for the man’s hypocrisy, Jiang Zhaosheng snatched the ring and neatly slid it onto his finger. His long hair slid across his chest as he sat up, with an intoxicatingly slight curl at the ends.
He held the back of his hand toward Shang Yan, panting slightly as he tried to calm his racing heart:
“—I want to go.”
“The auction you mentioned… where is it?”
On the stage, the pheromones of the two young Alphas were clashing violently, the pressure making it hard for some lower-level students nearby to breathe, causing them to retreat. The dull thuds of punches and kicks were constant, each collision accompanied by the tooth-aching sound of bone hitting flesh.
【Pandora’s Box, a private auction. Anonymous, with very high barriers to entry, specifically for auctioning… things that can’t see the light of day. Information and secrets are commodities there with clear price tags, but the channels are very hidden, and the location changes every time.】
【This ring is the proof of entry, and next week, they are holding another one.】
The Alpha’s behavior during his rut forced Shang Yan to rest in bed for a whole week, but there was no way he would be kind enough to let Jiang Zhaosheng go alone.
According to his usual psychotic way of doing things, he would definitely send a “lapdog” to monitor him closely.
—For example, the two currently fighting for their lives on stage.
Therefore, Jiang Zhaosheng’s purpose in stoking the fire couldn’t be clearer: he wanted them to fight until they were incapacitated, preferably ending up in the hospital along with Shang Yan’s other obnoxious associates.
Wen Zheng swung a heavy fist at He Qianyu’s temple, while He Qianyu simultaneously raised his knee, ruthlessly aiming for Wen Zheng’s abdomen—both were moves that would result in mutual injury or even severe trauma.
A look of understanding flashed in Jiang Zhaosheng’s eyes.
“That’s enough.”
The surrounding students only saw a blur as that figure moved so fast it practically left an afterimage, instantly inserting itself between the two ferocious Alphas.
As Jiang Zhaosheng cut onto the stage, the two Alphas, controlled by instinct, sensed his presence. They froze instantly, forcibly restraining all force and pheromones that could potentially harm him.
Continuing would mean hurting him, which was more terrifying to them than losing to a rival.
Thus, the scene froze—two murderous, scarred Alphas, due to the sudden withdrawal of force and physical exhaustion, fell to the ground in a mess. Between them stood the slender figure of a Beta. The three of them formed a brief and strange still life.
Jiang Zhaosheng’s gaze swept over Wen Zheng on his left, whose eyes were filled with suspicion and lingering fear, and then over He Qianyu on his right, who was panting heavily with muscles tensed but not daring to move.
“Can you still stand up?”
As the adrenaline receded, both men felt a dull ache throughout their bodies. Not wanting to lose face in front of their beloved, they could only lower their heads like defeated dogs, swallowing their winces.
“…The capital of an Alpha is indeed impressive.”
This low murmur fell into the ears of Wen Zheng and He Qianyu and was automatically interpreted by the two love-struck brains as praise.
They looked up, hungry for more approval, only to aggravate their injuries and gasp from the pain.
Wen Zheng and He Qianyu stopped caring about each other, their gazes focused simultaneously on Jiang Zhaosheng. Their unsatisfied desire for conquest boiled in their chests.
Little did they know, Jiang Zhaosheng’s comment was purely a sincere observation of their injuries after seeing them clearly:
—Alphas are truly thick-skinned and very durable.
“You’re both badly hurt. Go to the infirmary to get treated first. We’ll talk once you’ve calmed down.”
…That was it? No more “praise”?
Distorted longings simultaneously grew in the hearts of Wen Zheng and He Qianyu: they wanted to seize more “recognition” from Jiang Zhaosheng.
In the end, this brawl concluded with both sides suffering. Both Wen Zheng and He Qianyu were injured and needed treatment, making them unable to act as bodyguards or male companions for a short while.
Not long after the two subordinates were carried to the infirmary, Shang Yan indeed called. His tone was helpless as he said he originally wanted Wen Zheng or He Qianyu to accompany him to the auction, but now it seemed it would have to be postponed.
“No need to postpone,” Jiang Zhaosheng said into the receiver in a flat voice. “Mr. Shang just needs to tell me the time and place. I can… find someone to accompany me instead of them.”
There was silence on the other end for a moment, seemingly weighing how to speak.
“Zhaozhao, you know I won’t just let anyone get close to you. Otherwise, the threshold of Chengxin Zhai would have been flattened long ago.”
“But how can you divide people into different ranks?” Jiang Zhaosheng asked softly, then changed the subject. “Shang Yan, how about we make a bet?”
“Bet on what?”
“I’ll choose my own companion—you can cause as much trouble for me at the auction as you want.”
“Oh? Why would I want to cause trouble for you?”
Jiang Zhaosheng gave a cold laugh.
“If I bow my head and beg you, I lose. If I can leave the auction unscathed, I win.”
“And if you win, I don’t need any reward.”
Jiang Zhaosheng’s gaze fell on the Beta boy not far away who had come to the office to call him—the young man’s eyes were filled with undisguised infatuation. He looked clever enough, and most importantly… obedient enough.
“—If I lose, I’ll be your ‘cat’.”
Shang Yan’s breathing suddenly became heavy. After a long while, he rasped:
“…Fine.”
The call ended. Jiang Zhaosheng hooked his finger at the Beta who had been peeking at him.
Lin Xuan froze, then ran over, overwhelmed by the favor, his whole face turning as red as a cooked shrimp:
“Zha… Teacher Jiang?”
Jiang Zhaosheng looked him over. Not bad; his physique had some similarities to Shang Yan’s.
“Could you do me a favor?” He softened his voice, those blue-green eyes rippling with an irresistible magic. “Accompany me somewhere this weekend. It’s very simple; you don’t need to do anything, just follow me.”
Lin Xuan was so excited he practically tripped over his own feet, nodding frantically:
“O-Okay, Teacher Jiang! I’m willing!”
Anonymous Chat Section > Hot Posts
Topic: 【(Vent) Something happened today that I can brag about for a lifetime, but I don’t dare say it for the life of me】
1L
What? You grabbed a reservation slot for Chengxin Zhai?
OP
Mhm… even more than that… sigh, I’m just so excited I could faint, yet so scared my legs are weak. I can only come here to howl anonymously. Just treat me like I’m going crazy; I feel like I haven’t woken up from a dream yet.
2L
Oh, then stop right there. My blood pressure is rising.
3L
Speaking in riddles. Is it related to Zhaozhao?
4L
If you’re going to say you touched my Kitten, I’ll find you and kill you.
5L
Anonymous… User… ID 21659… death by… (Black notebook entry.jpg)
6L
Waaa although I don’t know the specifics, I feel like OP is so lucky. Passing on the luck… I hope Zhaozhao can look at me one day too.
7L
OP: Obtained a certain experience; Price: Lifetime anonymity, constant fear. OP, let me bear it for you. My contact info is xxxxx. Can you give me a chance? I’ll pay well.
8L
Me too, my contact info is—want to compare prices?
9L
So House Kitten is being unfaithful again, hehe. Scanning the kitten.
…
OP
I’m afraid of being tracked, so I’ll delete the post in a bit. No need to dig for my info; you won’t find it. Mhm… I won’t say anything, I’m just too excited and needed to find a place to vent.
I have to consider if this is the only chance I’ll ever have in my life. Be my wife, Zhaozhao! I’ll go to public toilets to use the restroom, and I’ll go to public toilets to enjoy the AC. I won’t stay at home except when I’m having “that kind” of life with you, so I don’t make the house dirty or messy for you.
At first, I wasn’t addicted. You guys told me that looking at House Kitten once or twice wouldn’t hurt and that it was easy to quit. That’s why I went to try it. Then I found out it’s not possible! If I go a day without kissing him, it’s painful and hard. As a result, I caught a “Kitten addiction” at such a young age, and now I can’t quit even if I want to. If I don’t kiss him for a day, my whole body itches. My peaceful life is shattered; I only work hard now so I can earn money to pursue House Kitten.
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