“I am sorry, you have dialed the wrong number.”
Lu Qing placed the meat patties into the oil pan, focusing intently as the patties sizzled and the oil crackled. His gaze remained calm and undisturbed.
Laiye glanced at his phone again. After comparing the two rows of numbers, he said with certainty, “I have not dialed the wrong number. The phone numbers are identical.”
“Are you Master Lu Qing?”
Lu Qing’s hand holding the spatula paused for a long moment. “I am.”
“Your number is marked with a star. It is set as the emergency contact.”
Lu Qing found it somewhat amusing and actually let out a small laugh.
An emergency contact? It still has not been deleted.
He turned off the heat for the fried patties and lifted them out, letting the oil drain before placing them on a plate. His movements were slow, and his voice remained very gentle. “Perhaps the settings are wrong.”
Yet, his tone carried an indisputable firmness.
Laiye was at a loss for words, inwardly sighing at how difficult this was.
Major General Elliot’s contact information only listed this one Male. The information for any other Insects was brief and incomplete. Since the person on the other end refused to acknowledge it, Laiye could not exactly force him to come.
Was there some kind of conflict?
What kind of conflict could there be between the Major General and his Master?
Laiye did not know. He could only try to appeal to the Male’s emotions. “The Major General’s injuries are very severe this time. His pheromones were already disordered, and this time they went into a riot because he has not received soothing for a long time. In his loss of control, he stabbed himself to protect his students.”
That sounds like something he would do.
Elliot was a loyal and upright commander who truly cared for the citizens.
Lu Qing remained noncommittal. So what?
What did that have to do with him?
“The physical injuries can heal, but the rioting pheromones will not stop.” Laiye hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and tried to coax him. “Excellency, he has been calling your name.”
Lu Qing admitted he was surprised for a split second, but it was merely surprise. In his view, a Female who was about to be married yet still harbored feelings for a past love was even more unsettling than the rejection of the marriage itself.
The rejection of the marriage only proved that their feelings had not reached that level.
Lu Qing’s eyes, which had held some warmth, froze into a block of ice. His voice cooled several degrees. “I am sorry, I do not know him.”
With that, he hung up the phone.
Laiye did not realize he had accidentally made things worse. In desperation, he tried the other contact numbers in the directory. Other than busy signals, there was only silence.
Who would have thought that a hero who shed blood to kill enemies on the battlefield would have not a single relative or friend to contact in reality?
If pheromones from a stranger were used, it would not only cause a rejection reaction in the Female’s body but could also lead to addiction. For a Female with a public reputation, this would be a scandal.
If they could avoid using a stranger, they would.
Time was of the essence. He had to find a pheromone provider before the surgery. Otherwise, shortly after the procedure, the pheromones would wander and stimulate Elliot into a further rampage.
Laiye dialed the original number once more.
This time, the Male answered again.
“Excellency, I have tried every contact number. No one is picking up.”
Laiye said sincerely, “The Major General’s pheromones are very violent right now. If this continues, he will likely turn into a mindless beast.”
“At least considering the fact that he saved many citizens, could you please come over? Even if it is from a distance, just standing at the door and releasing your pheromones and mental power would be enough.”
Lu Qing listened quietly. He lowered his eyes and rolled down his sleeves, slowly smoothing them out. His soft, harmless gaze became dark and unreadable in a single second.
He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. It was three in the afternoon; he could make it back in time to cook dinner.
Coming back to himself, he replied in a flat voice, “I understand.”
“Are you Master Lu Qing?”
Laiye asked.
The figure standing in the shadows shifted slightly, seemingly nodding.
“Excellency, you have arrived at the perfect time.”
Laiye breathed a sigh of relief. Although he had told the others Lu Qing would come, he had actually been unsure. After all, the Male had only said “I understand” without giving a definitive promise to show up.
Tanqi, watching the slowly approaching figure, was stunned. This was a Male he had never seen before.
“Are you sure Elliot’s Master is?”
Tanqi hesitated for a moment, his gaze landing on Lu Qing.
The Male’s figure was tall and lean. A black hoodie was draped over him, left open casually to reveal a loose white long-sleeved T-shirt underneath.
The large hood covered most of his face, but one could faintly see a smooth jawline and a thin lower lip, clean and pale.
Tanqi was certain this was not the person from the Locke family.
“I am not his Master. I am merely an old friend who has come to help him.” The voice flowed from beneath the hood. Slender, pale knuckles hooked the edge of the hood, gently pulling it down to reveal a handsome face.
Pitch-black hair fell naturally, resting softly against the side of his face. The Male’s features were relaxed; from his forehead to his lips, every feature was gentle and non-threatening. He was, quite simply, pleasing to the eye.
Tanqi felt something was strange.
As he looked closer, his gaze shifted from unfamiliarity to a strange sense of recognition, and then to a sudden, wide-eyed realization.
Bug God! Is this not the handsome Male he had pointed out to Elliot earlier?
What on earth is going on!!
Tanqi’s mind went blank. Amidst the roaring in his head, he thought of a possibility, one that was completely beyond his expectations.
Wait a minute.
Tanqi’s expression stiffened, and he swallowed hard.
Recalling Elliot’s abnormal behavior earlier.
He suddenly realized that Elliot’s loss of control only happened after seeing this Male.
It was after Tanqi had pointed out the Male chatting with a Sub-Female and commented on his good looks.
All the unnoticed details flashed through his mind like lightning.
Tanqi’s body went rigid, his muscles tensing. He was completely unaware that his teeth had bitten into his lower lip until he tasted blood.
Heavens, if that was the case, was he not the culprit behind all of this?!
Who would want to watch the Male they liked flirting with another Female!
Dammit! How could he be so unobservant?
“Doctor Laiye, Lieutenant General Tanqi, I have heard much about you.”
The voice interrupted Tanqi’s frozen thoughts. Lu Qing’s eyes crinkled in a smile. Doctor Laiye responded naturally, but Tanqi only just reacted. He stammered, sounding like a short-circuiting robot, and said nervously, “He, hello.”
“I only need to stand at the door, correct?” Lu Qing gave a helpless smile. “But the emergency contact should have noted that my mental power is F-rank. Are you sure you want me to do the soothing work?”
Doctor Laiye nodded. “It does not matter. A brief moment of relief is enough. I will personally explain this to the Major General later.”
Lu Qing nodded. “Then I will trouble you.”
F-rank? Tanqi thought blankly: Does that rank even exist?
“The Major General has already been secured with chains. Please do not worry.”
Laiye glanced at Lu Qing tentatively.
He had treated so many Females, and when their Masters came to see them, without exception, they showed expressions of disgust toward their Insectified partners.
Major General Elliot’s Insectification rate had reached nearly thirty percent. The spider legs piercing through his back and lower abdomen severely affected his appearance and movement.
His lower legs were starting to look slightly deformed.
Even Laiye had been startled when he first saw it.
The honey-colored skin was cracked into blocks. Multiple limbs struggled out through the flesh in a tangled mess. The lower abdomen was slightly arched in a circular shape, covered by a black hard shell with dark red spots.
Military Females of the venomous spider species were indeed among the strongest warriors of the Empire. However, due to their toxicity and lack of control, few Males chose them as partners.
Furthermore, a 3S-rank required significantly more mental power and pheromones. If a mental riot occurred and control was lost, being poisoned to death was one thing, but being eaten alive by the Female was not uncommon.
Female spiders were labeled as dangerous specifically because of their cruel and bloodthirsty habit of eating Males!
“Should I release it directly?” Lu Qing asked, his expression as calm as usual.
Laiye was stunned for a moment before nodding. “Yes, just a little is enough. The machine will amplify your pheromones and release them into the intensive care unit.”
Lu Qing: “Alright.”
The Female on the hospital bed twitched unconsciously.
It smells so good.
The tearing pain in his body seemed to be soothed. The furrow in the Female’s brow was smoothed out, and his curled body relaxed.
Such a familiar scent.
Lu Qing.
The unconscious Female instinctively conjured a soft, calm profile in his mind.
I miss you.
I have always missed you so much.
Even in his deep sleep, the Female’s chest inevitably throbbed with pain.
The injuries hurt, but he had always been able to endure it.
Because he knew that if he acted as though he were in pain, the person waiting for him at home would be even sadder.
“Does it still hurt?” The young man’s body temperature was very cool, but the way his palm rubbed his hair always made him feel warm and comfortable.
“It does not hurt.” Elliot clearly heard his own voice. His cold tone was stiff and strained, and his earlobes unconsciously turned a burning red.
He did not know if it was because Lu Qing was no longer there, but he could no longer bear the pain. Even a tiny wound made it hard for him to breathe.
“Lu Qing,” the Female murmured aggrievedly, burying his head in the bedding.
Why did you leave without a word?
Why do you look at me like a stranger?
Sob.
“Thank you for your help.”
Being able to help a patient recover meant one less worry for Laiye.
“It was nothing.” Lu Qing checked the time. Five-thirty. Shu did not matter since it had snacks to tide it over, but the old Male next door would likely start complaining.
“Then, I will take my leave first.”
Lu Qing did not give the ward a second glance. He was in a hurry to prepare dinner. “I hope the fact that I was here can be kept a secret.”
“If there are further problems, you can contact someone from the Locke family. If you cannot reach them by phone, you can find their secretary.”
Tanqi wanted to say something but stopped himself. He had so many questions, but seeing how closely the Male was watching the time, he assumed the Male had things to do.
Furthermore, interfering in another person’s relationship was never a good thing.
Even if their story made him desperate to know more.
After Lu Qing left, Laiye said, “I will go and check on the Major General first. I expect the soldiers from the army will be coming in soon.”
Tanqi was about to say “Alright” when he suddenly realized something.
Wait, there were military Females outside. No matter who it was, someone coming in or going out should have been announced or led by someone. This was to protect the safety of the superiors and also to monitor and control against riots.
If anyone could just come and go as they pleased, what was the point of the security measures?
So…?
How exactly did he get in?