Jack was a little surprised when he saw the long-haired man kissing Zhou Younan.
It wasn’t the long-haired man’s response that shocked him. Jack prided himself on understanding Wei Qing’s thoughts, if someone threw themselves into Wei Qing’s arms, he wouldn’t refuse.
What surprised Jack was that, according to the information he’d received, that long-haired man had always treated the young master of the Zhou family with nothing but cold indifference.
That was a fact. The people who’d provided the intel had no reason to lie to him. So why had his attitude changed so suddenly?
“It’s over! Over! Over! Completely over!” Beside him, Lance let out a wail, trembling all over again.
Jack found the man’s cowardice irritating, but since Lance was the third young master of the Noval family, and his boss, he forced himself to play the loyal underling and said soothingly,
“Don’t worry, Third Young Master. Take a deep breath, deep breath. It’s fine, it’s just a livestream. Everything’s fine.”
Lance, still shaking, pointed at the projection screen that Jack had yet to turn off. Jack hurriedly shut it down, and only then did Lance’s breathing begin to calm.
The moment he recovered, Lance jumped to his feet and headed straight for the exit of the grand ballroom.
Jack chased after him. “Third Young Master, where are you going? The ball’s not over yet!”
Lance’s round face had lost all color. He smoothed his pale gray hair with trembling fingers, muttering under his breath like someone on the verge of hysteria.
“I have to leave! I have to leave! Wei Qing likes that Zhou brat! He’s definitely going to come after me next!”
“It’s dangerous here!” Lance spun around and bolted toward the exit like his tail was on fire.
“Third Young Master!” Jack reached out to stop him,
But Lance’s chaotic steps sent him crashing into a waiter carrying a tray of wine. Both went down hard, the tray clattering to the floor as the liquor splashed all over Lance’s body.
Jack bent to help him up, about to scold the poor waiter, but Lance shoved him away.
“You useless idiot!” he shouted, voice cracking with fury. “This is all your fault! I’ll deal with you later!”
Without another word, he stormed off, drenched in wine and humiliation.
The other underlings quickly backed away from Jack, unwilling to be caught in the aftermath. Only John, the burly one, came forward and helped him to his feet.
“You alright?” he asked with sympathy.
Jack’s eyes swept over the people whispering and sneaking glances at him. He ground his teeth, furious.
“What the hell is he so afraid of Wei Qing for? He’s a young master of the Noval family, for god’s sake! You’d think he’s a mouse that just saw a cat. Always panicking, always acting like a lunatic!”
John hesitated, then said, “I heard that the Third Young Master got beaten up by Wei Qing once.”
Jack froze. “What? Why?”
His question was drowned out by a deafening crash!
Glass rained down from above, shattering on the floor. Everyone turned toward the source of the sound.
The Starlight Hall, Levi’s Royal Hotel’s grandest, most luxurious ballroom, occupied the very top of the building. While other ballrooms took up a single floor, this one spanned two.
Three of its walls were solid, while the fourth wall and ceiling were made entirely of glass. During events, massive 3D projections could be displayed across the glass: forests, oceans, starry skies, deserts, whatever suited the occasion, to create an immersive atmosphere.
For tonight’s ball, Lance had chosen a desert theme. But now, the brilliant blue sky of that projected desert had shattered and fallen to the floor.
Glass fragments scattered everywhere. Through the gaping hole, a colossal, mechanical golden eye stared in. Cold, unfeeling. The eye of a mecha.
Its voice echoed through the hall, metallic, merciless, “Evacuate within three minutes.”
A collective scream tore through the room, “Ahhhhhh!”
Panic exploded like a bomb. Guests bolted in every direction, desperate to escape.
Jack stood frozen, staring at the mechanical eye. He’d heard of battle mechas before, he’d once dreamed of joining the army, of piloting one himself. He thought that would’ve been the coolest thing in the world.
But he hadn’t passed the fitness exam. The military didn’t want him.
Now, looking up at that real, towering mecha, his dream twisted into dread. A mecha should only appear on battlefields, what the hell was it doing here, outside the Levi’s Royal Hotel? In the middle of a city?
Someone’s shoulder slammed into his, jolting him back to reality. People were trampling over each other to flee. Jack was knocked off his feet, and when he hit the ground, shards of glass bit deep into his thigh. Pain shot through him and he cried out.
“Ahhh!”
No one paid him any attention. Chaos reigned. Someone even stepped directly on him in their rush to escape.
“Don’t step on me! Don’t, ah!, stop it!” he screamed, trying to crawl away, but the crowd didn’t hear, didn’t care.
His voice broke into a raw, helpless wail, “Ahhhhhh!”
Finally, when the last of the terrified guests fled, only a few stragglers remained, staggering toward the exits.
“Ten.”
The mecha’s cold, mechanical countdown began.
Jack’s heart stopped.
“Nine.”
What was it going to do? He didn’t know. But whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.
“Eight.”
A chill ran through him, freezing him from the inside out. His throat constricted, he couldn’t even scream anymore.
“Seven.”
He tried to stand, to run, but pain shot through his injured leg, robbing him of strength.
“Six.”
He fell again, glass cutting his palms but he didn’t care. He planted his hands on the ground and began crawling toward the distant exit.
“Five.”
The glass bit into his skin with every move, blood smearing the floor. Still, he dragged himself forward, eyes fixed on the open doors ahead.
Meanwhile, Zhou Younan sat in a flying car piloted by General Henry, heading toward the Levi’s Royal Hotel.
Henry, ever composed, flew strictly by the book, keeping a safe distance from other crafts, following every regulation to the letter.
As a result, every impatient driver cut right in front of them.
By the third red light, they still hadn’t crossed the intersection.
Zhou Younan couldn’t hold back any longer. “General, I can tell you have an excellent temper. You even drive like a saint, slow and steady.”
Henry merely replied, calm as ever, “Safety comes first. It’s everyone’s responsibility.”
“But didn’t the Marshal order us to hurry? He said we had to stop Wei Qing.”
Henry’s tone didn’t change. “Knowing our Marshal’s temperament, even if we got there, we wouldn’t be able to stop him.”
Zhou Younan fell silent. Then, with forced patience, asked, “How much longer until we reach the hotel?”
“Fifteen minutes.”
Fifteen minutes? By the time this tortoise got there, it’d all be over.
He turned to look out the window. In the distance, a gray, hazy shape floated in the sky, an enormous cube suspended with no visible support.
“What’s that?” Zhou Younan asked.
Henry glanced at his terminal, then said with certainty, “That’s the Marshal.”
“Wei Qing?” Zhou Younan squinted at the shape.
The sun broke through the clouds, flooding the sky with light. The silhouette sharpened, an enormous rectangular mass, supported from below by a glowing red figure.
As they drew closer, Zhou Younan’s eyes widened. The red shape was Wei Qing’s mecha, Crimson Flame.
And in its hands, it was holding a massive structure, ten times Zhou Younan’s size, ornate, familiar, slightly damaged,
“The ballroom?!” Zhou Younan gasped.
He remembered what Wei Qing had said earlier, so casually, “I heard we were supposed to hold our wedding in the Starlight Hall? I’ll go get it for you, as a wedding gift. You just wait here for me.”
Now, looking at that enormous block suspended in the sky, Zhou Younan was certain: Wei Qing had literally ripped out the entire Starlight Hall.
As a wedding gift.
He was insane. Completely, gloriously insane.
Wei Qing’s reputation online wasn’t great. “Madman” was the second most popular label after “Blood-stained Hero.”
Zhou Younan had met madmen before, men who thought if they were doomed, everyone else should burn with them. But Wei Qing’s level of madness went far beyond that.
He’d thought he’d gotten himself a weapon, a walking deterrent. Now it was clear he’d picked up a live bomb.
A month later, the drug’s effects wore off and Wei Qing stopped liking his pheromones… what would happen to him then?
Zhou Younan’s face turned pale. His heart sank into an icy pit.
All he’d wanted was a quiet, simple marriage, a formality but because he’d given Wei Qing that capsule, the man had fallen for him and was now determined to show it off.
And because their original venue had been stolen, Wei Qing had decided to steal it back. No, not just steal it. Carry it through the sky in a mecha.
This wasn’t quiet.
This was catastrophic.
The entire empire was watching. Every newsfeed, every social stream.
If Wei Qing ever came to his senses and remembered what he’d done today, Zhou Younan would probably be the first one he’d want to destroy.
“Is that really the hall?” Henry frowned slightly. “I didn’t think the Marshal took that incident to heart.”
Zhou Younan wanted to tell him: you were right, he didn’t, until I drugged him. Now he’s taking everything to heart.
“Still,” Henry added with a small smile, “the Marshal is… different, when it comes to you.”
Zhou Younan forced a laugh. “Different? How?”
“The Marshal hates having any Alphas or Omegas within two meters of him. He can’t stand the scent of pheromones and refuses to touch anyone’s bare skin. That’s why he always wears gloves.”
He paused, eyes glinting faintly.
“But when you approached him today, not only did he not recoil, he kissed you and he took off his gloves. That’s… unprecedented. You’re special to him.”
Zhou Younan wanted to cry. Special?
He didn’t want to be special. He wanted Wei Qing to stay as far away as possible.
This wasn’t affection, it was pharmaceutical influence. He hadn’t expected the capsule to work this well.
“Marshal, I have you in sight,” Henry reported through the comms. “The Madam is with me.”
Wei Qing’s deep voice came through, steady and commanding, “Henry Grey, proceed to the People’s Square, Earth Simulation Zone. The wedding will be held there.”
“Yes, sir.”
The connection ended, and the aircraft abruptly changed course.
A moment later, Wei Qing’s voice echoed again, this time soft, private, “Zhou Younan, I miss you.”
Silence filled the cabin.
Zhou Younan could only answer with a stiff, mortified, “…Mm.”
When the line cut off, Henry chuckled.
“Our Marshal’s an old-fashioned man. He hates new tech, doesn’t like wearing terminals, and despises virtual communication.”
“He always says conversations with important people should be face to face. Seems he truly adores you, Madam Younan. I’d better hurry, the Marshal’s eager to see you.”
Zhou Younan blinked, dumbfounded. Wei Qing, old-fashioned? The man looked like he belonged on a stage, not in a history book.
He was still processing that when a traffic robot appeared beside their craft.
The meter-tall machine’s red warning lights flashed as it broadcast, “You are in violation of Article 438 of the Terran Empire’s Flight Code. Return to your designated route immediately or you will be detained.”
Henry turned his head slightly, tone mild. “It’ll call the police in thirty seconds. I’ll accelerate.”
Before Zhou Younan could react, the world blurred. The craft lurched forward with such force that his body slammed back into the seat. The sky streaked past like liquid metal.
In an instant, the pursuing robot was a tiny dot far behind them.
Pinned by the g-force, Zhou Younan glimpsed a tattoo curling around Henry’s left hand, a reminder that even this calm, proper general carried a hint of madness, just like his Marshal.
People’s Square… Earth Simulation Zone…
Why there? What was Wei Qing planning?
Outside, the aircraft climbed higher. Below, countless citizens were aiming their terminals skyward, recording the red mecha and the ballroom it carried.
To them, the sight was spectacular, unbelievable.
To Zhou Younan, it was a nightmare made visible.
Wei Qing’s mecha gleamed crimson under the sun, clutching the shattered ballroom like a trophy.
And Zhou Younan, trapped in this whirlwind, could only pray he’d survive the wedding of the century.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
A coffee would be extremely convenient right about now. Just saying.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Escape from Zhou familyChapter 2 · Bride To BeChapter 3 · Attacked on SpaceshipChapter 4 · FiancéChapter 5 · Wild one Tastes betterChapter 6 · Cousin, Zhou MoChapter 7 · Wedding DressChapter 8 · Wedding Hall disputeChapter 9 · Marshal Fainted!Chapter 10 · CATNIP!Chapter 11 · His Pheromone is Catnip!Chapter 12 · The show beginsChapter 13 · He likes me!Chapter 14 · He is crazy!Chapter 15 · Auditorium, I brought it. Do you like it?Chapter 16 · Only I can bite your lipsChapter 17 · Wei Qing grabbed his wristChapter 18 · Your posture just now was perfect for kissingChapter 19 · This is… Wei Qing’s leopard?Chapter 20 · Let’s do what newlyweds should do.Chapter 21 · Release your pheromones and overwhelm meChapter 22 · Zhou Younan, I miss you.Chapter 23 · The promise to bite your lip isn’t just for yesterdayChapter 24 · You beast! You enormous beastChapter 25 · My patience is almost at its limitChapter 26 · Touch Wei San? Pluck its feathers?Chapter 27 · Doesn’t Wei Qing like you a lot?Chapter 28 · You’re the dog, your whole family are dogsChapter 29 · How did things turn out like this?!Chapter 30 · Zhou Younan, I love everything about youChapter 31 · Cheetahs do react to catnip.Chapter 32 · Second PrinceChapter 33 · Immersed in the fluffy touchChapter 34 · What can you do to help if you stay?Chapter 35 · Sand WormChapter 36 · I gave Wei Qing a capsuleChapter 37 · His vulnerable period has arrivedChapter 38 · Reason has long since been burned awayChapter 39 · I can’t believe I did that! I’m insane!Chapter 40 · The person I want to protect is my wifeChapter 41 · Zhou Younan, you can only be mineChapter 42 · Until the last star in the universe is annihilated.Chapter 43 · The light in Wei Qing’s eyes dimmed.Chapter 44 · Family?Chapter 45 · The green capsule was in his palmChapter 46 · Zhou Younan was filled with fearChapter 47 · Brother won’t abandon youChapter 48 · What a piece of trash!Chapter 49 · Zhou Younan, are you looking at me?Chapter 50 · Zhou Younan feared Xu QiChapter 51 · Zhou Younan, you’re such a foolChapter 52 · You really don’t want to marry me?Chapter 53 · My braceletChapter 54 · Zhou Younan, I can’t mark youChapter 55 · A symbol of brotherhoodChapter 56 · How old are you?Chapter 57 · Abnormal!Chapter 58 · Did you give Wei Qing the capsules from the tin box?Chapter 59 · Brother, I’ve made up my mindChapter 60 · Doing things for you is my wishChapter 61 · You’re the first person I’ve ever liked, Wei Qing.Chapter 62 · Childhood sweetheartChapter 63 · He can’t live without youChapter 64 · Teacher RigenChapter 65 · Were they running togetherChapter 66 · You two kidnappersChapter 67 · GiftChapter 68 · Don’t look back, just carry onChapter 69 · Maurice Jin is already a thing of the past for meChapter 70 · I finally found youChapter 71 · Who’s your wife?Chapter 72 · How would he interpret his leaving?Chapter 73 · Wei Qing was Wei San?Chapter 74 · Maurice Jin had been assassinated?!Chapter 75 · Turn your face towards the sunChapter 76 · Wei Qing’s eyes were brightChapter 77 · Pheromones are a double edged swordChapter 78 · Don’t stareChapter 79 · He’s the Empire’s MarshalChapter 80 · So WeakChapter 81 · Are you alright?Chapter 82 · Was he really that kind of person?Chapter 83 · He remembered his forgotten goalsChapter 84 · Come on, shoot me in the heartChapter 85 · Why are you unhappy again when I touch you?Chapter 86 · Don’t you even like me anymore?Chapter 87 · Wei Qing transformed into Wei San.Chapter 88 · I’ll give you my love, and I’ll give you my lifeChapter 89 · Just do it for me, okay?Chapter 90 · Don’t bother me until you explain clearlyChapter 91 · I want to stop your time when you still love meChapter 92 · Damn it! Zhou Younan! You just waitChapter 93 · From the very beginning, I had no choiceChapter 94 · From the very beginning, I had no choiceChapter 95 · A gunshot rang outChapter 96 · I grew up in the research instituteChapter 97 · You complete liar! You’re despicableChapter 98 · You will always be the only one in my heartChapter 99 · You are actually the same as meChapter 100 · Zhou Younan, I’m leavingChapter 101 · How could a big cat possibly resist the allure of catnip?Chapter 102 · The EndChapter 103 · Extra: 1