First Kiss
The residential area for the military families was filled with Omegas, with Gu Zeyu being the only Alpha. However, this didn’t stop him from fitting right in with them. With a suppression patch and a fluffy reindeer hat and scarf, no one believed Gu Zeyu was an Alpha.
Initially, Lu Yinian treated Gu Zeyu as if he were invisible. As long as this Alpha didn’t cause trouble, didn’t wander off, and spent his days eating, drinking, and mingling with the Omegas in the family compound, that was the best scenario.
When Gu Zeyu first arrived, he was quite afraid of Lu Yinian. But he soon realized that although Lu Yinian was cold and indifferent, he never restricted him like his brothers did. Every day, amidst the Omegas, Gu Zeyu would hear them praising Lu Yinian’s great achievements. Hearing it so often, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride, thinking, “My Omega is amazing.”
Soon, complaint letters flooded Lu Yinian’s military command camp like snowflakes. On his left were battle reports, on his right were complaints. In less than a week, there was no space left for the letters on the right. The burly Alphas in the military couldn’t stand their wives coming home every day and talking about another Alpha, so they blocked the entrance to the command camp, pleading with Lu Yinian to manage his Alpha.
Lu Yinian truly didn’t know how to handle Gu Zeyu. Their marriage was officially recorded in the alliance database, and even though he was annoyed by Gu Zeyu drooling on his chest while sleeping, he had to admit that he was indeed the legal partner of the young Alpha.
Gu Zeyu had terrible sleeping habits. Before falling asleep, he would cuddle an arm, but once asleep, he would cling like an octopus. Lu Yinian even tried getting up and walking around, but he couldn’t shake off the little fish clinging to him. He constantly wanted to be rough, yet feared causing harm, as Gu Zeyu seemed truly delicate and unable to fend for himself.
While the Alphas were complaining to Lu Yinian, the Omegas in the family compound were also busy. Mrs. Spider organized a ladies’ afternoon tea, where everyone except Gu Zeyu was a beautiful Omega.
The conversation among a few married Omegas soon veered off course, teasing the naive Alpha, insisting he share details about his wedding night with Lu Yinian. Upon learning that the two hadn’t consummated their marriage, they clicked their tongues, saying, “Could it be that General Lu isn’t up to it?”
“Nonsense, how could the Empire’s War Star not be up to it? It must be that little fish isn’t up to it!”
“You’re married, so how can you not mark each other? Many people like General Lu. Without a mark, this marriage can be annulled at any time.” Mrs. Spider patted Gu Zeyu’s shoulder worriedly, handing him a slice of mango mille-feuille cake.
“Annulment sounds great. I could just go home and let Lu Yinian find another Alpha to save him,” Gu Zeyu said carelessly.
Mrs. Spider, knowing Gu Zeyu was clueless about such matters, chuckled and said, “If you go home, who will save General Lu? An Omega’s heat is quite painful and happens every month. Where would he find a willing Alpha in such a short time?”
Seeing the hopeful looks from everyone, Gu Zeyu proudly puffed out his chest and said, “No worries, I’ll make do and help him out.”
When Lu Yinian had his adjutant summon Gu Zeyu, he arrived clutching an ugly cloth doll. Lu Yinian raised an eyebrow and asked, “Where did that come from?”
“Lieutenant Li’s wife made it for me. She’s a gentle spider Omega, and with her eight hands, she makes dolls like magic.” Gu Zeyu offered it to Lu Yinian like a treasure, suddenly remembering how his truckload of dolls had been destroyed by this humorless bear of a man. He quickly pulled the doll back, hiding it behind him, and said cautiously, “Don’t take it away. With it, I won’t need to cuddle you at night.”
Lu Yinian’s frown deepened, and he clenched his fists to suppress the urge to throw Gu Zeyu out. “Why are you even here? Is the military a place for you? I’ll find a vehicle to send you back so you can sleep with your pile of broken dolls.”
Startled by his shout, Gu Zeyu’s eyes turned red at the corners, but he mustered the courage to approach and hook his pinky around Lu Yinian’s. “Mrs. Spider said an Omega’s heat isn’t like an Alpha’s Sensitivity Period. Your frequency is higher, and it’s very painful when it happens.”
“Didn’t she tell you about suppressors? Do I need you, this…” Lu Yinian paused, swallowing the words “little waste” back down.
“I know. I used them during my Sensitivity Period too, but they don’t always work well. Before, you didn’t have an Alpha, but now you have me.” Gu Zeyu was somewhat happy. Despite fearing Lu Yinian, the fact that the man didn’t coldly shake off his pinky made him feel satisfied.
He couldn’t say he liked Lu Yinian, and he was even a bit scared. But it was like a barking puppy suddenly letting you squeeze its paw; Gu Zeyu liked that feeling.
Lu Yinian snorted, looking at Gu Zeyu’s rosy cheeks, jelly-like lips, and small, round nose. He couldn’t imagine how such an Alpha could help him through a fierce heat without a suppressor. Suddenly, he lifted his hand, pinching Gu Zeyu’s chin. The soft touch stirred something malicious within him. He lowered his head and fiercely captured Gu Zeyu’s lips, transmitting a surge of pheromones through their saliva.
Gu Zeyu had never encountered any Omega’s pheromones before. The difference in their levels was so vast that his weak Alpha pheromones were completely overpowered. His mind spun like fireworks exploding, and by the time he came to, Lu Yinian had already let go, looking at him with disdain as he stood there, legs trembling and body weak. “Do you think I need someone like you?”
Gu Zeyu hung his head, silent for a long time. Sensing something was wrong, Lu Yinian leaned closer, seeing large tears falling to the ground and Gu Zeyu’s lips bitten to the point of bleeding. Realizing he might have gone too far, yet unwilling to apologize, he watched Gu Zeyu’s retreating figure and simply instructed an adjutant to follow him.
Gu Zeyu, upset, packed his things to leave, but hadn’t even reached the first checkpoint before two sentinels carried him back. His daring venture into the minefield had become legendary throughout the military, and no one dared let him leave the base alone.
Lu Yinian had never apologized to anyone and didn’t know how to comfort an Alpha. Especially now that Gu Zeyu had that ugly doll and no longer needed to cling to Lu Yinian’s arm at night, Lu Yinian felt stifled and unable to vent his frustration. He couldn’t hit or scold Gu Zeyu, leaving him sleepless with anxiety.
Days passed in this stalemate until an alien invasion loomed. Lu Yinian donned his armor, ready for battle. Seeing him in his armor with a resolute face, Gu Zeyu momentarily forgot their quarrel and touched Lu Yinian’s armor, saying, “Puh Abal.”
Lu Yinian, sweating, frowned and asked, “What are you doing?”
Gu Zeyu slightly tilted his head, his fair face adorned with two large, black pearl-like eyes, and said innocently, “I’m blessing you in my language. Oh, you don’t understand, it means ‘come back safely.'”
Lu Yinian’s heart softened. The boy’s hair glowed in the light, and he found himself reaching out to ruffle Gu Zeyu’s hair in front of everyone, grunting softly, “Nagging.”
After Lu Yinian left, Gu Zeyu, bored in the military, quickly found new amusement. He befriended an elephant Alpha, the head of the cooking squad, who wore a tall chef’s hat on his trunk to prevent sneezing into the food.
The elephant Alpha, upon first seeing an Omega with such weak pheromones, mistook Gu Zeyu for a Beta. He tossed Gu Zeyu into the air twice with his trunk, unable to discern his true form.
“Don’t throw me, I’m getting dizzy. I’m actually a fish, a little fish swimming around,” Gu Zeyu said, standing on shaky legs and leaning on the squad leader’s trunk for support, pretending his legs were a fish tail.
“You’re quite amusing. I never imagined General Lu would marry an Alpha like you.” The squad leader handed a ladle to Gu Zeyu. His words held no malice, and Gu Zeyu, not thinking deeply, took the ladle and headed to the cooking squad’s backyard pigsty.
Gu Zeyu leaned over the railing, scooping pig feed as a dozen piglets rushed to him. The elephant squad leader, seeing his carefree demeanor, sidled up for a chat. “I heard it’s the Sea Clan attacking, looking for their king. They’ve sent hundreds of thousands of troops. Aren’t you worried about your Omega?”
“Is Lu Yinian strong?” Gu Zeyu asked with a smile, tapping the railing with the ladle.
“If he’s not strong, who is? He’s an Omega, but who would believe it? His combat power is world-shattering.” The squad leader shook his trunk, spraying two jets of water.
“Is Lu Yinian stronger than most Alphas?” Gu Zeyu bent down to stroke a piglet’s bristles and curl its long tail.
“Stronger than 99% of Alphas. The remaining 1% is just to be objective.”
“Then why should I worry about him? My Omega is the Empire’s finest general. He’ll definitely return safely.” Gu Zeyu clapped his hands, lifted the empty bucket, and started to leave. Suddenly remembering something, he pointed at the piglets and said, “Your pig feed ratio is off. They’ll grow three parts lean to seven parts fat, the protein ratio is wrong.”