“Looking for Salorian?”
Following the directions given by Fior, Lu Heguang found the Hughesman family’s training area. Even though it was inside their home, the place looked remarkably similar to Wyatt Academy. The only difference was that instead of open sky overhead, there was a sun-protective glass layer shielding them from wind and sun exposure.
As soon as he reached the entrance, he saw the two brothers he hadn’t met before resting on a bench. Both were shirtless, revealing their well-defined muscles and numerous scars.
“We still don’t know your name, young master,” said the slightly older-looking one, drying his hair with a towel as he stood up and approached Lu Heguang. “I’m Payne, and that’s my brother, Kalim.”
Lu Heguang calmly told them his name. “Senior… Salorian is my guide at Wyatt.”
“So you’re the Alpha who became this year’s combat department captain right after enrolling?” Kalim came over upon hearing this, vigorously ruffling Lu Heguang’s hair. “You’re pretty tall. I look forward to hearing your name in our military ranks.”
“Kalim,” Payne called his brother’s name in a warning tone. Kalim withdrew his hand. “Sorry, the places we work are quite dangerous. I wasn’t thinking carefully. If possible, you should try to choose safer units.”
Then, worried Lu Heguang might dwell on this, he changed the subject. “By the way, Salorian is still showering. Do you want to wait here for him?”
Lu Heguang nodded. “Does Senior train with you every day?”
“We’re not home every day.”
Lu Heguang understood Kalim’s meaning the two brothers and Mitchell all had their own “work” to attend to. Only Salorian was frequently at home, and being home meant participating in training.
Now Lu Heguang understood why Salorian stayed at Wyatt even during holidays. If not necessary, he probably didn’t want to participate in such inhumanly intense training either.
He wasn’t looking down on Omegas Alphas had their own weaknesses too but Omegas’ physical constitution was indeed a step behind. Had Salorian been living like this all these years?
“Then have a seat and wait here,” Payne said, noticing Mitchell approaching from a distance. He guided Lu Heguang to the bench. “We have things to do with our eldest brother. Kids should do what kids are supposed to do.”
“I’m already an adult.”
“You’re only a few years younger than Salorian, and we still see him as a kid, so you’re no different,” Payne said with a laugh. Before leaving, he added, “Could you do us a favor? When he finishes showering, don’t let him drink ice water.”
“His heat cycle just ended not long ago, and his body hasn’t fully recovered. Drinking cold things can easily cause a fever,” Kalim explained. “But he can’t help himself, so we’re counting on you.”
Hearing them mention Salorian’s heat cycle made Lu Heguang somewhat uncomfortable. Mitchell noticed this and couldn’t help chuckling. “Don’t dwell on it too much. Even Salorian himself doesn’t make a big deal of it.”
“This matter is partly our fault, and Father bears some responsibility too,” Karim said, scratching his still-damp hair. “We never treated him as an Omega from a young age, and psychologically, he always wanted to keep up with us. But a heat cycle is something physiologically unavoidable. From his perspective, your marking him was just solving a critical problem.”
“These words shouldn’t really come from us,” Mitchell, the eldest brother, interrupted his younger sibling and said to Lu Heguang, “But you shouldn’t continue treating this as just the consequence of a solution. Take it seriously, young master.”
Lu Heguang nodded earnestly. “I’ve always taken it seriously.”
“That’s not all I meant,” Mitchell patted his shoulder but didn’t elaborate further. Watching the three brothers leave, Lu Heguang belatedly understood what Mitchell hadn’t fully expressed.
What he needed to take seriously wasn’t just his own attitude, but also Salorian’s attitude.
The blue-haired Alpha relaxed his body and closed his eyes to rest, sitting quietly on the bench, waiting for the sound of running water from the nearby bathroom to stop. When Salorian emerged from the steam-filled bathroom in his bathrobe, heading straight for the small fridge to grab an ice-cold drink, he saw Lu Heguang sitting on the bench with his eyes closed, seemingly asleep.
But as Salorian approached curiously, Lu Heguang suddenly opened his eyes. “Senior, you shouldn’t drink ice water.”
“I haven’t drunk any wait, no,” Salorian paused, confused. “Why are you bothering with what I do?”
He suddenly remembered he didn’t need to listen to Lu Heguang, the one he’d guided, and turned to grab the cold drink himself. But Lu Heguang intercepted and snatched the drink from his hand.
“Give it to me,” Salorian said, seemingly certain that this kid, as a guest, should uphold his usual politeness. He extended his hand, but the next moment, Lu Heguang shook the drink in his hand, unscrewed the cap right in front of him, tilted his head back, and gulped down more than half the bottle.
Salorian: “…”
Is he rebelling?!
“Now it has my scent on it,” Lu Heguang placed the drink in front of him. “Senior probably doesn’t like the smell of gunpowder, right?”
There was only one drink left. Even if Salorian disliked it, there wasn’t a second one.
Unexpectedly, Salorian frowned, snatched the nearly empty bottle from his hand, and took a couple of sips from the spot Lu Heguang had drunk from. But in this hot weather, after being warmed by the temperature and Lu Heguang’s touch, the drink was no longer cold. Salorian clicked his tongue in annoyance and, not wanting to waste it, finished the rest. He then tossed the empty bottle to Lu Heguang. “Go throw it in the recycling robot by the door.”
Still somewhat dazed, Lu Heguang caught the empty bottle. He glanced at the clearly displeased Salorian, then looked down at the bottle in his hand. Gathering his courage, he asked, “Senior, can I keep this bottle?”
“Don’t say such perverted things so seriously,” Salorian kicked him in disgust. “Why are you competing with a robot for a bottle? Hurry up and go.”
Reluctantly, Lu Heguang walked to the door and tossed the empty bottle into the wide-open mouth of the small, round robot. The chubby little robot shook its belly and emitted a mechanical voice: “Thank you very much!”
“Lu Heguang, come here. I have something to ask you.”
Lu Heguang was still pondering whether he could pry the bottle out of the little robot’s mouth when he heard the voice. Turning around, he saw Salorian sitting in the spot he had occupied earlier, waving him over.
“You didn’t overhear what my brothers said, did you?” Salorian motioned for him to sit beside him.
“No, they only told me to keep an eye on you and make sure you don’t drink cold water.” Lu Heguang blinked innocently. “Senior, is there something I should know?”
“Ahem,” Salorian cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “Did Mr. Lu say anything to you?”
If the first part could be dismissed as Salorian worrying that Mitchell and the others might have shared embarrassing childhood stories about him, Lu Heguang was now certain that Salorian was hiding something from him.
But he had no intention of alerting him. Given Salorian’s guarded and wary demeanor, he wouldn’t get any answers from him. However, Lu Ze had always been open and honest with him whenever he asked questions.
Lu Heguang shook his head. “No.”
At that moment, Lu Ze, who was standing at the entrance of the reception hall editing a message for his son, suddenly sneezed. “Huh, I feel like someone’s watching me… Hughesman, you’re not talking behind my back, are you?”
Hughesman calmly set down his cup of black tea. “If I wanted to speak ill of you, I would say it directly.”
Lu Ze: “…”
“That’s good then,” Salorian sighed with relief in the lounge area. “I was just asking casually. Don’t take it to heart.”
“Senior, where do your brothers work?” Lu Heguang tactfully changed the subject, asking about Payne and Karim. “I heard from my father and Mitchell that they’re on the front lines, but they seemed to let something slip earlier.”
“They’re in a small unit under the marshal’s command. Actually, they haven’t been officially assigned yet,” Salorian said softly. “Even as interns, they’ve already suffered many injuries.”
“I’m sorry,” Lu Heguang said, noticing the somber tone in his voice and realizing he might have touched a sore spot. “I was just curious.”
“It’s fine, but you shouldn’t even think about going there. It’s too dangerous,” Salorian emphasized. “Besides that place, there are plenty of other options… Ah, why am I even discussing this with a freshman? It’s still too early for you to think about choosing a job.”
“Where will you go after graduation, Senior?” Lu Heguang suddenly asked. “You’ll be graduating in less than a year, right?”
“Less than a year,” Salorian replied, a sly smile appearing on his face at the mention of his future. “Father has always wanted me to join a hospital under Wyatt’s umbrella, but I’ve made my own decision. When he finds out where I’m going, he might fly into a rage.”
Looking into Salorian’s eyes, which seemed to sparkle with determination, Lu Heguang already had a guess about his decision Salorian likely wanted to join Payne and Karim’s unit.
He felt this guess was at least eighty percent accurate. After obeying Hughesman for so long, Salorian’s one act of rebellion would undoubtedly go directly against his father’s wishes.
Lu Heguang glanced down at his knee, which was pressed against Salorian’s. He didn’t want to be left behind by Salorian, so from now on, he too needed to start planning for his own future.
“By the way, I have a date this Monday afternoon, so I won’t have time to accompany you,” Salorian said as he stood up. “Be good on your own.”
“Don’t worry, Senior.”
The Marshal’s residence was bustling with preparations for tomorrow evening’s banquet. Lu Heguang’s formal attire had finally been decided upon. It had to be said that Lu Ze’s taste was truly impeccable even Fei Luo’er couldn’t find any fault with this outfit.
“Dad, I have something I want to ask you.” Lu Heguang changed into casual clothes and squeezed in next to Lu Ze. “Are you and Salorian hiding something from me?”
Lu Ze: “…”
Fei Luo’er walked past the father and son with a cup of coffee in hand. Lu Ze shot him a pleading look. Fei Luo’er paused for a moment, then decisively sat down opposite them. “What is it? You can ask me.”
Lu Ze stood up, snatched the coffee from his hand, and walked away as if nothing had happened. Out of their sight, he frowned at the bitterness of the coffee.
“Father, I want to ask about Senior’s heat cycle and marking.”
Fei Luo’er: “…”
Was it too late to call Lu Ze back now?
“Senior’s family and all of you seem to be keeping something from me. I want to know.” Lu Heguang stared at Fei Luo’er. “Did I cause some kind of negative impact on Senior?”
“Not at all,” Fei Luo’er sighed, sensing the worry in his tone. “You’re both still too young. Marking requires both parties to be willing. But as you know, Salorian’s situation is complicated. Lu Ze asked him if he needed to have the mark removed.”
Lu Heguang’s heart tightened as Fei Luo’er continued, “But he refused.”