TL: Hua

Chapter 34

The central auditorium of Mars Military Academy was permeated everywhere with a minimalist aesthetic. The soaring dome was supported by a silver alloy skeleton, and the holographic screens on the surrounding walls scrolled stiffly with the school crest and motto. The air was thick with the scent of disinfectant.

The briefing had not yet officially started. Ji Xuan, following the departmental division, walked to the last row of the Combat Department area and sat down. The chatter in the hall hummed like a swarm of bees. Gazes converged on him, some overt, some covert, as the murmur of whispers rose like a tide.

Ji Xuan didn’t care much.

He put on his headphones and casually scrolled through his terminal.

Suddenly, the seat next to him was pushed aside by a hand. A person wrapped in a fervent breeze sat down. As he did, he draped an arm brazenly over the armrest, causing the cool fabric of his casual jacket to brush against Ji Xuan’s arm. He swung his long legs as if intentionally trying to get his attention.

Before Ji Xuan could even turn his head, he felt the other person leaning in.

“What are you listening to?”

It seemed that whenever he wasn’t wearing his training uniform, he was always dressed flashily. Today, however, he had toned it down slightly. There were no complicated, seemingly inextricable metal chains. He only wore a laser-material jacket that reflected blue and purple hues and a pair of smoke-gray, highly stylized jeans.

As he leaned in, the jacket’s fabric rubbed against Ji Xuan’s arm, and the few remaining dark metal buckles and chains swayed gently, making a faint, crisp sound.

Ji Xuan propped up his head and turned his face.

The man had likely arrived on a motorcycle; his hair was flattened in all directions by his helmet, and though he had tidied it haphazardly before coming in, several stubborn strands still stuck up at odd angles. His blue eyes stared intently at Ji Xuan, like gems tempered in fire.

Sometimes Ji Xuan felt he was like a newly matured, hyperactive large canine. His entire being radiated a wildness that had yet to be fully tamed, yet it was strangely mixed with a defiant and childish greenness.

Pei Yingye leaned in very close. The perfume he was wearing drifted into Ji Xuan’s nose. It wasn’t strong or pungent, but it was very similar to the scent of his pheromones and quite pleasant.

Ji Xuan’s gaze lingered on those startlingly bright blue eyes and the disobedient strands of hair. He slowly took off one of his earbuds and held it out to Pei Yingye.

The latter raised an eyebrow and took it with a hint of elation.

In his understanding, sharing headphones was a very flirtatious act.

Back at the preparatory school, he had seen it many times: hot-blooded Alphas and the Omegas they fancied would hide in the small woods behind the sports field to share a pair of headphones. He wasn’t sure what kind of cheesy, sentimental stuff was playing, but he knew those Alphas were incredibly calculating. They specifically chose wired headphones with extremely short cords so the two people had to stay incredibly close, their breaths entwining as their lips moved.

At the time, Pei Yingye had been quite disdainful. He felt this ancient method of flirting should have been phased out during the Earth Calendar era.

But now, he had to admit he deeply regretted that these headphones weren’t wired.

To his surprise, an AI’s emotionless mechanical voice soon rang in both their ears: “The Omega’s legs turned weak from the Alpha’s domineering pheromones. With reddened eyes, he let out a soft moan: ‘Don’t… let go of me…’”

Pei Yingye: “???”

Pei Yingye whipped his head around, his blue eyes wide and round. He looked at Ji Xuan with an expression of pure disbelief and complexity. His lips twitched as he tried to suppress a laugh, which finally turned into a playful “Tsk…”

“Is it really okay to listen to this kind of thing in public?” He drew out his words, leaning his body a few inches closer to Ji Xuan until his nose was almost touching Ji Xuan’s neck. He whispered in an intimate, breathy tone, “So you’re into this kind of thing?”

Ji Xuan lazily raised his eyelids to look at him and curled his lips. “Occasionally experiencing this kind of time-wasting stuff is quite interesting. After all, the place where I lived didn’t have much entertainment.”

In the past, Ji Xuan had indeed enjoyed listening to stories—tales of kings, ministers, scholars, and beauties. A cultivator’s lifespan was far too long; occasionally sitting in a teahouse listening to those fabricated, exaggerated, and amusing stories to waste an afternoon was perfectly acceptable.

But in Pei Yingye’s ears, this was interpreted as: there wasn’t much entertainment on the garbage planet, so even a fast-paced trashy novel like “The Interstellar Big Shot’s Contractual Delicate O” could pique his interest. A hint of pity couldn’t help but surface in the gaze he leveled at Ji Xuan.

“Then what’s the point of just listening to the text?” Pei Yingye licked his dry lips, speaking suggestively.

Ji Xuan looked at him with a half-smile, his peach-blossom eyes shimmering. He didn’t respond immediately; instead, he slowly and deliberately removed the earbud from Pei Yingye’s ear, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against the other’s soft, warm earlobe.

“What, are you planning to perform a scene for me live?”

Pei Yingye’s eyelids flickered and then dropped. A tingly, numb itch spread from his touched earlobe, momentarily crowding out his rationality. His gaze actually swept toward the text Ji Xuan was intentionally showing him on the terminal, only to feel his scalp go numb with irritation an instant later.

Who on earth reads this kind of sanity-depleting, shameful stuff?!

How are you even supposed to act this out?

Seeing that he was actually considering it, Ji Xuan couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. The clear, crisp sound carried undisguised delight, traveling into Pei Yingye’s buzzing, numb ears.

Then, Ji Xuan patted his face and said, “Just teasing you.”

The terminal screen switched back to a normal page. Only then did Pei Yingye realize that Ji Xuan wasn’t actually listening to that miserable story about the overbearing Alpha and the soft Omega; it was obvious he had done it on purpose to tease him the moment he arrived!

As a result, he puffed himself up like a blowfish in indignation.

–

The field training briefing, as the name suggested, was merely to introduce the situations of the various fortresses and legions, as well as the recruitment quotas for this year’s training.

However, before that, there was an important segment: awarding medals to the top three students from each department’s annual assessment. Because Pei Yingye had been interrupted by Ji Xuan earlier, he had forgotten about this. It wasn’t until the host’s voice rang through the auditorium via the speakers that Ji Xuan belatedly stood up from his seat.

Although Ji Yan’s team had been eliminated by Ji Xuan in the Full-domain Simulation, he managed to squeeze into third place in the Medical Department assessment due to his extremely high mental power rating and professional scores. However, he appeared to be unwell and did not show up at the briefing. When Ji Xuan came down from the stage, a teacher from the Medical Department below the steps specifically asked about Ji Yan’s condition and asked Ji Xuan to help bring the medal to him.

Ji Xuan bluntly refused. After all, he had no plans to return to the Ji family home anytime soon.

The long-winded introductions of the briefing finally came to a close with the concluding remarks of a certain proctor. The students poured out of the exits like a tide, and noisy discussions filled every corner of the auditorium once more.

Pei Yingye, having calmed himself down, stood up and stretched his limbs. He intentionally blocked Ji Xuan’s way out, turning back to say, “So what’s the plan now? You go back and get Mephisto, and we head to the Lower City?”

Ji Xuan glanced at him. He had just smoothed out his slightly wrinkled hem and hadn’t had time to respond when he was interrupted by another voice.

“Brother.”

The two of them looked toward the sound.

This was the umpteenth time Pei Yingye felt his cousin was an eyesore.

Shaikh stood on the aisle steps, looking at them with a beaming smile. “I saw you signed for my gift. Does Mephisto like it?”

Ji Xuan replied tersely, “He’s okay.”

“That’s good. Since Brother didn’t reply to my message, I was feeling quite nervous.” Shaikh narrowed his eyes. “Have you decided which fortress to go to? Mephisto used to be kept in my family’s basement and was looked after by specialists. Its enclosure is still there and is cleaned every day. If you can’t find a place for boarding, you could…”

“Excuse me, Cousin.” Pei Yingye stepped up a stair, forcefully blocking Shaikh’s gaze from falling on Ji Xuan. “We are racing against time to go on a date. Please move aside—as for Mephisto or Mephistopheles or whatever, it already has a great place to go.”

“A date?” Shaikh repeated the word softly, his gaze turning to Ji Xuan with an inquiring look.

Ji Xuan neither confirmed nor denied the statement; he simply smiled and stroked his wrist.

As a result, the smile on Shaikh’s face became flawlessly impeccable again. “Cousin and Brother have such a good relationship; it’s truly enviable. But having raised Mephisto for so long, you must know it’s very delicate, brother. If it’s entrusted to someone unfamiliar, I’m afraid they won’t be able to take good care of it.”

“That’s none of your concern.” As Pei Yingye spoke, he reached out and slung an arm around Ji Xuan’s shoulder. “We’re in a hurry. See ya.”

Ji Xuan looked down, his eyes sweeping over Pei Yingye’s arm resting on his shoulder. The Alpha’s hand was large with well-defined knuckles. The warmth from his palm transmitted continuously, yet he didn’t seem to dare grip tightly, merely letting it rest there lightly.

Ji Xuan didn’t say a word. Since someone was dealing with Shaikh for him, he naturally couldn’t be bothered to speak.

Shaikh’s gaze fixed on Ji Xuan’s unruffled, even somewhat indulgent profile. Finally, he just smiled. “It seems Cousin really is in a hurry… Since Brother has already decided, then I won’t disturb you any further.”

Despite his words, he didn’t move an inch. His tone grew more considerate, laced with a forced sense of intimacy: “But brother, if—and I only say if—it turns out that place isn’t right for you, or if Mephisto doesn’t settle in well, contact me anytime.”

“That spot will always be reserved for you.”

Upon hearing this, Pei Yingye let out a faint, cold snort through his nose. Guiding Ji Xuan by the arm, he pushed past Shaikh.

Shaikh stood rooted to the spot, watching their retreating figures. From behind, their posture exuded a sense of possessiveness; a broad palm rested casually on Ji Xuan’s slender shoulder, as if shielding him entirely within his embrace. Being an Alpha, his build was naturally taller and more imposing than Ji Xuan’s. He was currently leaning his head down, lips nearly brushing Ji Xuan’s ear, whispering something low.

From Shaikh’s angle, he could see the sharp lines of Pei Yingye’s jaw and the slight, triumphant upturn of his lips, an expression tinged with a bit of malice and arrogance.

It wasn’t until their figures vanished around the corridor corner that the smile on Shaikh’s face receded like an ebbing tide, his deep blue eyes darkening.

It doesn’t matter. He was a step too late this time, but there would always be another chance.

—

“So, what kind of gold-plated incubator is it that you couldn’t even bring it down for me to see?” Pei Yingye leaned against his hoverbike, eyeing Mephisto coiled around Ji Xuan’s right hand, his words sharp and prickly.

Ji Xuan gave a soft chuckle. “The thing is huge. Even if I wanted to bring it, would it fit on your bike?”

“Besides… didn’t you say your friend has a better setup, and I only needed to bring the snake?” Ji Xuan put on the helmet Pei Yingye handed him and climbed onto the bike behind him. Without a second thought, he wrapped his other arm around the man’s waist, giving it two light, airy pats. “I had a lot of faith in your word.”

Pei Yingye hummed a couple of times, miraculously pacified once again.

The bike engine roared to life before darting out like a bolt of lightning. Perhaps because the driver was in a good mood, the bike itself seemed to move with a certain lightness. The warm afternoon breeze brushed against Ji Xuan’s exposed skin; feeling the warmth of the laser-material jacket and the vigorous, hot pulse beneath his palm, his mood seemed to brighten along with the soft sunlight.

The roads were clear at this hour, and they soon arrived at a bar in the Lower City.

Pei Yingye hesitated for a moment at the door before finally leading Ji Xuan upstairs to see the owner.

The second floor was an open-plan space. In the center sat a large office desk, fronted by a coffee table and sofas for guests. The walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling display cases housing almost every kind of reptile imaginable. A parrot perched on a stand by the desk, and upon seeing them enter, it let out a raucous, gravelly cry: “Boss, take a seat! May you be prosperous!”

The Alpha sitting behind the desk wore a traditional Tang suit and semi-rimmed gold glasses. Seeing the storm-faced Pei Yingye striding toward him with an air of warning, he simply gave a broad grin, stood up, and approached them with open arms. “Welcome, my friend! It’s rare to see you at this hour.”

Pei Yingye subtly dodged the hug, leaving Ji Xuan, who had been shielded behind him, exposed to the man’s gaze.

The Alpha froze for a second, blinking slowly. His gaze scanned Ji Xuan searchingly from that excessively handsome but expressionless face to his lean frame before finally landing on the collar around his neck. His eyes flickered imperceptibly.

Then, his gaze shifted back to Pei Yingye, his lips curling into a teasing, knowing smirk.

“As mentioned last night, we’re here to board the Secret Blue Belly,” Pei Yingye reminded him, his brows furrowed, each word deliberate.

It sounded more like a warning to stay on topic.

However, he knew very well that the Alpha before him wasn’t one to play by the rules.

The Alpha raised an eyebrow, ignoring the prompt. Instead, he winked and teased, “I was wondering why your visits lately have been so erratic. It’s either you vanish off the face of the earth, or you’re here for days on end. So it’s because… you’ve been kept as a ‘hidden treasure’ in a golden house?”

Hidden treasure my ass!

—Wait, why did he say “been kept”?