 Chapter 58: Shen Zhuo’s Growing Power? / “Not Listening, Kiss Me.”
The remaining guests were left to Ai Li.
Shen Zhuo returned to the manor with Du Xun first.
Sitting in the car, the man immediately pulled him into his arms, carefully inspecting the wound on his neck.
“Don’t be so nervous, it’s a minor thing.”
Shen Zhuo lowered his head and saw that his collar was already sticky with blood.
Du Xun disinfected and applied medicine to the boyâs wound with the first aid kit from the car.
Shen Zhuo closed his eyes, pressing down on Du Xunâs hand as he examined the wound, and directly leaned his head onto Du Xunâs shoulder.
“Why did Xun Qiru have to die there?”
This was the only request Du Xun made after Shen Zhuo explained the entire plan â Xun Qiru had to die on the spot.
He didnât know why Du Xun made such a decision, but he didnât question it either.
This was why, at that moment, he pretended to faint and deliberately let Xun Qing make the move.
“Is it because he would interfere with your future plans?”
He knew Du Xun was cleaning up.
Not just the Xun family, but everyone in the political scene associated with Xun Qiru.
“Behind Xun Qiru are people we find hard to investigate.”
Du Xun carefully cushioned the boyâs neck, avoiding pressure on the wound.
“Only by his death can we draw out those hiding in the shadows.”
“Oh, I see,” Shen Zhuo responded.
Du Xun fell silent.
When Shen Zhuo opened his eyes in confusion, Du Xun grasped the boy’s hand.
“I’m sorry.”
Shen Zhuo looked up. “For what?”
Du Xun gently rubbed his palm with his thumb.
“I let you get hurt.”
Shen Zhuo was clearly by his side.
Yet, he still got hurt.
He knew how dangerous those people were.
He knew.
“Itâs my fault.”
Du Xun’s voice was hoarse, and if you listened closely, there was a barely perceptible tremble.
The wound was so close to being fatal.
If it had been just a little deeper, Du Xun feared he would never forgive himself for the rest of his life.
Shen Zhuo said nothing, staring directly into the manâs guilty eyes.
“Sorry…”
Not hearing Shen Zhuoâs voice, Du Xun felt even more self-reproachful.
He carefully held him in his arms, not knowing what to say, only able to apologize.
“Sorry⌠I didnât protect you well.”
“Look at me.” Shen Zhuoâs voice was calm.
Du Xun froze for a moment.
Shen Zhuo wasnât surprised to see the deep guilt in his eyes.
The next moment.
A powerful burst of Shen Zhuoâs night-blooming cereus pheromones filled the cramped car, so intense that even Du Xun felt slightly uncomfortable.
This wasnât a calming pheromone, nor was it for courtship.
It was aggressive.
Du Xun’s eyes widened slightly.
His omega seemed⌠angry.
The soothing rosemary scent was instantly suppressed.
Just as Shen Zhuo had said before.
They were on the same level.
If they got serious, it was anyoneâs guess whose pheromones would overpower whose.
“Darling…” Du Xun cupped his face, pecking his lips, “Baby, donât be angry.”
“Did you hurt me?”
Shen Zhuo pushed away his hand and grabbed Du Xunâs collar instead.
Du Xun followed his lead. “No.”
Shen Zhuo: “Then why apologize?”
Du Xun: “I was worried…”
Shen Zhuo: “Thatâs all in your head. Dreams donât count.”
Du Xun nodded. “I understand now.”
Only then did Shen Zhuoâs expression improve slightly.
After a momentâ
Shen Zhuo: “You didnât do anything to wrong me, did you?”
Du Xun replied seriously: “Of course not.”
Shen Zhuo: “Then why apologize?”
Du Xun: “…”
Great.
We circled back again.
“Darling…”
Shen Zhuo stared at him, subtly toning down the oppressive pheromones while adding some calming ones.
Seeing Du Xun remain silent, Shen Zhuo didnât want to forcefully listen to his thoughts either.
His hand slid from the collar to grab his lapel, pulling hard.
He forced Du Xun to lower his head so their eyes could meet.
He wasnât good at comforting people.
But no matter what, he didnât want his alpha to remain like this.
He wanted Du Xun to know that he could truly stand by his side.
“Even if I canât move, my pheromones can still subdue them,” Shen Zhuo said.
Du Xun lowered his eyes, seeing himself reflected in the boyâs gaze.
The part of himself he hated â the cowardly part.
“I…”
“Not listening,” the boy interrupted, “Kiss me.”
His butterfly-wing eyelashes half-covered his moist eyes, and he slightly raised his head, his lips brushing against the manâs chin.
Du Xun relaxed his brow, chuckling softly as his large, warm hand rubbed the boyâs waist before kissing him deeply.
The kiss was gentle yet impatient, pressing Shen Zhuo against the seat, holding him tightly.
Not until Shen Zhuo was limp in his arms, gasping for air, did Du Xun stop.
“In the future, I will be on the battlefield. I know what Iâll face.”
Leaning into Du Xunâs embrace, Shen Zhuo panted slightly, his tone serious.
“I wonât die, so if I get hurt, donât take all the blame on yourself.”
“Youâve already done enough for me. Some things I need to do on my own.”
“Donât treat me like something fragile. Iâm not a gem on display in any case.”
He lifted his hand, touching the trembling lashes of his alpha.
“Understand?”
Du Xun held his hand, lowering his head to kiss his palm, his heart filled with tender love.
“I understand.”
—
It wasnât until they returned home that Shen Zhuo suddenly remembered something unusual he had heard when Xun Qiru died.
“I heard it.”
Shen Zhuo recalled carefully. “Row 3, Seat 8. Row 6, Seat 4. And Row 11, Seat 12.”
“Their thoughts were different when Xun Qiru died.”
Du Xun looked at him, his eyes brightening.
“Your abilities have improved?”
Only then did Shen Zhuo remember. He hadnât told anyone at Ares Military Academy, or even Du Xun, about this.
“Yes, I can hear a wider range now, starting from that day of the free combat.”
“Ares doesnât know about this, right?”
After receiving confirmation, Du Xun couldnât help but ruffle the boyâs hair, genuinely happy for him.
“You did the right thing. Not all of them are trustworthy.”
“Keep this enhanced differentiation ability a secret from everyone except your mentor and his wife.”
The manâs gaze, filled with joy, also carried a hint of solemnity.
“You must be careful.”
After the entry test at Ares Military Academy, Du Xun had been secretly investigating information about the underground trafficking organization.
He had even sent agents undercover.
Just this morning, Du Xun received a list of names from one of the undercover operatives.
It was a list of people targeted by gland hunters for capture or imminent abduction.
Among the hundreds of names, he saw Shen Zhuoâs.
There were two markings beside it.
One meant “difficult to capture, use special methods.”
And the otherâ
“Killable.”
This was one of the sources of Du Xunâs worries.
His omega wasnât someone who wanted to be fully protected.
He wouldnât go against Shen Zhuoâs wishes and imprison him under the guise of “doing it for his own good.”
His treasure shouldnât be bound by any chains.
Especially not chains coming from him.
He believed Shen Zhuo had the ability to protect himself.
But when facing those desperados, it was impossible for Du Xun not to worry.
However, this organization wasnât easy to take down.
Their illegal profits might even have ties to government departments or the royal family.
To protect everyone on that list, there was only one wayâ
Take down the entire organization before they could act.
For this reason, Du Xun had spent four consecutive nights planning after Shen Zhuo fell asleep, including this morning when he coordinated the operation with Shen Zhuoâs bureau.
While they were dealing with Xun Qiru, the operation against the gland trafficking organization had already started.
But they were still missing the final keyâan instigator.
The trigger to uproot everyone involved.
Shen Zhuoâs neck wound was carefully treated.
They applied a special healing ointment from the military.
By tomorrow, only a faint scar would remain.
There were still two and a half weeks before school started.
Shen Xuyin and Jiang Yuening reportedly needed a bit more time before they could return home.
Xia Dou, on the other hand, video-called him every day.
Though, after An purposely walked behind him holding a flowerpot during one of those calls, and Xia Dou exclaimed, “Why is that flower arranged like that?”â
Shen Zhuo directly gave Xia Douâs number to An.
Even now, An was standing in the corner of the living room, holding his phone and protesting quietly in front of a painting.
“The painting you mentioned simply doesnât match this place!”
Xia Douâs voice chimed through the phone.
“My young master is so young, he should have something lively! The one you picked is so gloomyâwho would like that?”
Shen Zhuo had to admit, this girl Xia Dou had some skill.
Since he arrived at the manor, he had never seen An so irritable.
To make Anâs hair nearly stand on endâprobably only Xia Dou could do that.
Ai Li, since the royal dance festival ended, had seen her reputation rise again.
She was probably busy chatting with Ji Weishen, which explained why she hadnât contacted him as often lately.
Finally, there was Du Xun.
The man had been extremely busy these past two days.
Even though he said he was on leave, he hadnât returned from the military for the past three days.
It wasnât until the evening of the fourth day.
Shen Zhuo was in the collection room, playing with an intricately carved, hollowed-out small pistol.
An knocked on the door to inform him that Du Xun had returned.
The boy didnât even have time to put on his slippers.
Hurriedly putting the gun back, he ran downstairs.
Du Xun was in the living room, taking off his military uniform jacket.
His well-built muscles were almost bursting through the buttons of his shirt.
“Du…”
Shen Zhuo had just lifted the corners of his mouth into a smile when he suddenly noticed the bandage wrapped around Du Xunâs arm.
Through the white shirt, spots of blood were visible.
“Iâm back, darling.”
Du Xun smiled as usual, but his eyes were red, filled with bloodshot veins like a spiderâs web.
“What happened?” Shen Zhuoâs first thought was that Du Xun had been on a mission. “Werenât you just commanding?”
The man put down his jacket and walked up to lift the boy, who was barefoot, placing him on the sofa.
“Itâs nothing, just a little scrape.”
His voice was the same as alwaysâgentle and lowâas he pinched his omegaâs soft cheek and softly chided:
“Why arenât you wearing shoes again?”
“What mission were you on?”
Shen Zhuo clung to Du Xunâs neck, and even after being placed on the sofa, he didnât let go, narrowing his eyes.
“Donât you dare lie to me.”
Commanders were usually the least likely to get injured.
They rarely stood on the front lines of battle.
Because only when a commander was safe could a battle be won.
In Shen Zhuoâs memory, Du Xun had never been injured.
Du Xun, with his neck encircled by the boy, couldnât straighten up, so he had no choice but to kneel in front of him in this posture.
“Today I…”
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