The head of the Zhou family, Zhou Quan, was an Alpha, fifty-eight years old. His temples were still dark without a single strand of gray, though fine crow’s-feet tugged at the corners of his eyes.
Rumor said he had always been a libertine, unrestrained in his appetites, never picky about ABO.
The moment Zhou Younan entered the study, his gaze fell on Zhou Quan: lounging in a genuine leather chair behind his desk, a handsome young man curled in his arms.
The man was a Beta, devoid of pheromones, his features delicate and enticing.
When Younan stepped inside, the Beta rose languidly, moving to stand aside with a sway in his hips. Zhou Quan’s eyes lingered on the curve of his backside before, with clear reluctance, shifting to glare at Younan.
Zhou Quan’s triangular eyes swept over people from head to toe, and when they landed, his gaze clung stickily to any patch of exposed skin.
The feeling of being watched by him was worse, so much worse than the slavering guard dogs in the Duanwei prison camp. Zhou Quan’s eyes made Younan’s stomach turn.
He tugged down his sleeve cuffs, trying to hide every inch of bare arm.
“Uncle,” Younan said softly, standing at attention.
Zhou Quan leisurely drew out a cigar. The Beta knelt gracefully at his side, lighter in hand, flame flaring. Only after Zhou Quan took a long drag, exhaled smoke through his nostrils, did he make a noncommittal sound of acknowledgment.
“Nan-nan, this outfit looks decent enough. Just a little big, mm… ” His tone slid into a lower register. Younan noticed the Beta still crouched behind the desk, body shifting faintly but never rising.
“In two days, you’ll be leaving Yaoxing. I’ll have them tailor it again.”
Younan nodded once.
“Gentler, you fool!” Zhou Quan barked suddenly at the figure under the desk.
Younan lowered his eyes. He pretended to have seen nothing, heard nothing, known nothing.
Another leisurely draw of smoke. Zhou Quan’s expression shifted into one of pleasure.
“Mmm… your hair…”
Younan’s hand shot up, covering the right side of his forehead, “I don’t want it cut.”
A thoughtful pause, “Then forget it. Leave it covered. By the way, Ennn. Luoluo will be staying here in the Zhou family.”
Younan froze.
Luoluo? Staying?
He had planned to take the boy with him when he escaped.
“You promised before that Luoluo could leave with me… ”
“That was before you tried to run from the marriage!” Zhou Quan’s voice sharpened with irritation. “Leaving him here is your punishment. You’ve no one to blame but yourself.”
“Luoluo has always been with me, ever since he was little, I.. ”
Smack!
The sharp crack of Zhou Quan’s palm slamming the desk silenced him.
“You’re an Omega,” he snapped. “Dragging along a child not even ten years old to a wedding! what kind of spectacle is that? It would disgrace the Zhou family’s name!”
The weight of Zhou Quan’s fury pressed down on him, and Younan’s chest tightened with fear.
But if Luoluo truly remained here, the boy would be left to their mercies once Younan was gone. He could imagine all too well how they would treat him.
He forced himself to soften, lowering his voice in a pleading tone, “I was wrong to run. I admit it. Please! just let me take Luoluo with me…”
“Zhou Younan! I’m very busy.” Zhou Quan’s face darkened.
“Get out,” Zhou Quan snapped, pointing at the door. “If you leave now, I’ll still allow you to see him once before you go. If not, forget about seeing him again.”
The stench of gasoline, his pheromones burst from Zhou Quan in waves, surging through the office like a choking tide.
Such force was only released during rut or in the height of arousal.
Overwhelmed as an Omega, Younan stumbled backward, escaping the office in panic.
His body felt hollowed out, trembling, but he still managed to drive his fist hard into the wall outside.
The Zhou family has taken Luoluo hostage. I can’t escape. I can’t…
The thought flared up, hot and violent: If only I could plunge a syringe straight into their veins.
Younan startled himself.
Once, he had lived in agony for injecting people with reagents. Now, now he was wishing for it.
No… not like this. I’m not a killer. I’m not…
That night, in the Silent Chamber, he finally saw Luoluo.
“Gege!”
“Luoluo!”
Younan crushed the small boy to his chest. Tiny arms wrapped tightly around his neck. Fat tears rolled down Luoluo’s cheeks as he sobbed, “Gege, they all said you didn’t want me anymore!”
“Never,” Younan murmured, wiping his tears away. “Don’t listen to their lies. They’re all bad people.”
“Then… can we still leave together?” Luoluo blinked at him with wide, wet eyes.
Younan forced a smile. “No.”
Luoluo’s lip trembled, eyes brimming again.
Quickly, Younan coaxed him, “Do you know why gege has to go alone?”
“…Why?” Luoluo sniffled, his voice small.
“Because gege is going to marry the Marshal.”
At five years old, Luoluo tilted his head, confusion written all over his little face. His childish voice tumbled out in a rush, “What’s a Marshal? Is it tasty? What’s getting married? Why does gege have to marry him?”
“The Marshal isn’t food.” Younan’s lips twitched faintly despite the heaviness in his chest. “He’s a very powerful man.”
“Powerful…” Luoluo’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. “More powerful than Chik?”
“Yes. Much more powerful than Chik.”
“Then… then will he protect gege?”
Younan’s nod was stiff, reluctant.
But Luoluo’s face lit up, “That’s great! Now gege has someone to protect him too!”
Younan held his little hand tightly. “You must stay in school, Luoluo. Don’t follow anyone who tries to take you away. I’ll come to find you as soon as I can, understand?”
“Okay. I’ll be good. I’ll stay in school and won’t go out.”
“Good boy.”
From his pocket, Luoluo pulled out a small, old-fashioned iron tin and pressed it into Younan’s hand, “Gege, this is for you. Whenever you miss me, just eat one. It’s very sweet.”
Younan’s nose stung. His throat ached. “You must wait for me to come back for you.”
“Mm. And gege, you have to take care of yourself too. Eat on time, sleep on time, and be happy.”
Seven days later, Zhou Younan was aboard the passenger ship Epril, bound for the Imperial Capital Star, Canberra.
His luggage was simple: a few sets of everyday clothes, a pile of cheap nutrient packs, and the rectangular iron box Luo Luo had given him.
When he popped a candy from the box into his mouth, a faint sweetness lingered on his tongue.
The bruises on his body had already faded; only when pressed hard would there be a dull ache. But for Zhou Younan, that kind of pain was nothing, he had endured far darker things.
He turned toward the window, gazing out at the endless expanse of space. The blackness was like a great curtain, studded with stars and planets of all shapes and sizes.
What might those distant worlds be like?
Suddenly, the ship lurched violently. The captain’s voice came over the comms, “Encountered an electromagnetic storm. Passengers, please remain calm.”
Five minutes later, the broadcast changed, “The Epril will make a temporary stop at Gonggong Port for minor repairs.”
Again and again, the message looped. Outside the window, small escort ships darted by.
As the Epril approached the port, Zhou Younan saw more and more small vessels, each no bigger than a candy pill, lined up in neat vertical rows of ten, waiting either for repair or for a chance to make a wormhole jump.
Gonggong Port was one of the Empire’s largest ports, home to wormhole points established since the Empire’s founding.
Passage through cost a fortune, but from Yaoxing to the Imperial Capital, it only took a week at sub-light speed, no wormhole jump required.
Then the window view was blocked by what seemed to be a towering wall.
Pure black, looming less than a hundred meters away, radiating crushing pressure. Zhou Younan soon realized it wasn’t a wall at all, it was the side of a warship.
A supercarrier, pitch-black, bristling with mechanical lines and details that exuded solemnity and power. Dozens of soldiers in exo-mechanical suits moved busily across its hull, like swarming bees.
The Epril was a massive passenger liner capable of transporting tens of thousands, dwarfing most civilian ships.
Yet compared to this colossal carrier, it looked like a toddler of three years.
It took fifteen minutes for the Epril to fly from stern to bow. At last, Zhou Younan saw a giant crimson emblem painted on its head: a single drop of blood.
That blood-red teardrop gleamed in the void, smooth, beautiful in shape, yet brazen, arrogant, screaming of slaughter.
The nickname flashed in Zhou Younan’s mind: Blood Tear. The title given to the Empire’s Marshal, Wei Qing, the man he was to marry.
And the troops under him were called the Blood Tear Legion. Even in times of peace, with star pirates inside the borders and Zerg beyond, the Blood Tear Legion claimed victory after victory, the pride of His Majesty’s armies.
Zhou Younan recalled that the soldiers he’d glimpsed earlier in exo-suits bore the same blood-red emblem.
He had thought he would only meet Wei Qing a week later, in the capital. He hadn’t expected to already cross paths here, at Gonggong Port.
He had searched Wei Qing’s image before: blond hair, green eyes, and a face that rarely looked pleased.
What etched deepest into Zhou Younan’s memory was the black teardrop tattoo inked beneath his left eye, matching the ship’s insignia, only in black rather than red.
It lent Wei Qing an aura of cold, merciless ferocity.
Wei Qing’s origins were vague: no official record of his birth star or year, only that he had graduated from the Empire’s prestigious Xipes Military Academy, still holding the record for fastest mecha circumnavigation of a star.
Then came the endless military commendations, each a testament to his victories.
Most famous of all was the Battle of Tenglong Valley six years ago, where he had destroyed a Zerg hive. But in that campaign, his gland had been damaged.
Since then, though an Alpha, he was known to be… frigid. An Alpha who could remain utterly unresponsive, even to an Omega in heat.
Which meant… he might not even be able to fully mark a mate.
Zhou Younan found himself thinking, perhaps that wasn’t entirely a bad thing.
As an ordinary citizen, he might have admired Wei Qing: a young general, brilliant, victorious, a hero of the Empire.
But he wasn’t a citizen now, he was to be the man’s third spouse. And from that perspective… Wei Qing did not seem like a good husband.
Zhou Younan let out a long sigh. His fate would rest entirely on the Marshal’s judgment of him.
The uncertainty gnawed at him.
He gripped Luo Luo’s iron box tighter. Whatever happened, he had promised, he would find Luo Luo on Gonggong Star.
Meanwhile, Wei Qing himself was locked in battle, piloting a mecha in hot pursuit of star pirates.
A hail of lock-on missiles streaked toward him.
He deployed counter-missiles. Explosions lit up the void as enemy fire was shredded mid-air.
“These damned vermin! Still running? You won’t get away!” Wei Qing snarled.
“Marshal,” came the voice of General Henry through comms, “please remember, you’re only piloting a farm mech right now…. ”
“So what?” Wei Qing growled, jettisoning the mecha’s missile pack.
“Marshal, without missile defenses, if you charge in like this… ”
Wei Qing cut off the transmission. He had no patience for nagging. Pushing the engine to its limits, he shot forward like a blazing meteor, his farm mech trembling under the unbearable strain, threatening to tear apart.
But stripped of excess weight, the acceleration carried him fast enough to catch the pirate ship. He locked eyes with the terrified pilot within.
Then, he ejected.
The mech’s emergency pilot-ejection system was meant for escape. Wei Qing used it to launch himself directly onto the enemy vessel.
“Madman!” one pirate shrieked, drawing his gun in panic.
But Wei Qing’s hand was faster.
Clinging to the ship with one arm, he drew his plasma sidearm with the other.
Golden hair whipped wildly in the space, but his aim was unwavering, shots rang out, each searing beam striking true.
One after another, the pirates dropped. A blackened hole burned clean through the pilot’s brow.
Smashing the cockpit glass, Wei Qing slipped inside, shoved the corpse aside, and took the controls.
He reopened comms with Henry.
The general, long inured to his Marshal’s recklessness, told himself to be grateful, this time, only one farm mech had been destroyed.
“Marshal, a passenger ship named Epril is requesting permission to dock at Gonggong Star. The captain also reports…” Henry hesitated, then continued, “Your fiance is aboard.”
“…Fiance?” Wei Qing repeated blankly. “Who?”
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
(╯°□°）╯︵ ☕ — deploy caffeine!
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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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