The black hovercar lifted into the air, flying straight toward the Admiral’s Manor like a bolt of black lightning.
The moment Xi Xiuran entered the hovercar, he completely melted into the soft seat like a puddle of liquid cat.
Shi Xingzhou lifted his eyelids and glanced at him. Seeing how he was unwilling to move even a single finger, he still found it a bit hard to connect the paralyzed salted fish in front of him with the composed, graceful little prince in the award hall earlier.
Just as Shi Xingzhou was thinking this, he saw Xi Xiuran suddenly shoot up from the soft seat. He sniffed left and right, and finally, with a look of utter disgust, held his right arm far away from himself. Looking at Shi Xingzhou with a miserable face, he said, “Big Boss Shi, do you have spare clothes in the car? Lend me a set. There’s a stench of dog, I’m going to die from the stink.”
Having that idiot Ying Huachi get too close, Xi Xiuran hadn’t noticed it at first. But now, in this enclosed environment, he smelled the scumbag pheromones clinging to him. He felt like throwing up his New Year’s Eve dinner.
F**k, disgusting!
Shi Xingzhou paused, his orange-red eyes locking onto Xi Xiuran. “You can smell Ying Huachi’s pheromones?”
Xi Xiuran replied casually, “Yeah, smells like stinky medicine.”
As the Protagonist Gong, the original novel described Ying Huachi’s pheromones like this: [Ying Huachi’s pheromones were bitter, yet within that bitter fragrance was mixed a faint hint of floral scent. This trace of gentleness hidden within the bitterness blurred the invisible distance, just like his feelings for Xi Mengchen; his only gentleness and love were given to Xi Mengchen alone.]
When Xi Xiuran read this passage back then, he silently rubbed the goosebumps on his arms. Then, feeling inexplicably familiar with the description, he looked it up.
Oh, turns out it’s just Hermès Eau de Gentiane Blanche.
To put it bluntly, it was just the bitter smell of ginseng mixed with a bit of iris floral scent. Changing the phrasing just made it seem more high-end and pretentious.
“His pheromones smell terrible. Yours are much better, Big Boss Shi. A light pine scent, like a woody perfume I like.”
He spoke so casually that he didn’t notice Shi Xingzhou’s hand, which had been lightly tapping the armrest, pause at his words.
Generally speaking, S-class Alphas could perfectly conceal their pheromones. Unless it was an Omega with high compatibility to them, ordinary people couldn’t smell their pheromones. Furthermore, if the difference in rank between the two parties was too vast, even if the Omega could smell the other party’s pheromones, they wouldn’t be able to bear it due to their low mental power, resulting in dizzy spells and severe discomfort.
Xi Xiuran was only B-class. Being able to smell the S-class Ying Huachi’s pheromones was already pushing it, but he could actually smell his pheromones, and wasn’t uncomfortable in the slightest?
Recalling the ability Xi Xiuran had just awakened, Shi Xingzhou stared at him for a long time.
Could there really be such a coincidence?
Xi Xiuran was completely oblivious. He was born with a sharp sense of smell; it was one thing if he couldn’t smell it, but once he did, he always felt like the scent clinging to him was incredibly obvious. Without waiting for Shi Xingzhou to reply, he started taking off his clothes.
Shi Xingzhou’s temple twitched. He immediately pressed a button. With a click, the partition door leading to the driver’s cabin instantly closed, and a mental power barrier was simultaneously activated.
Zhou Liu, the personal guard driving in the front row, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Good thing I resisted my curiosity and didn’t peek in the rearview mirror.
Xi Xiuran: “?”
Oh, right. He had almost forgotten: even though they were both guys, there was still a difference between Alphas and Omegas here.
Shi Xingzhou glanced at him and pointed to the back. Xi Xiuran turned around and saw the wall behind the soft seats silently open up, revealing an entire wall-sized wardrobe. Inside hung two neat rows of clothes: one row of military uniforms and one row of haute couture suits, suitable for different occasions.
Wow, Xi Xiuran marveled.
As expected of Big Boss Shi’s ride, fully equipped with everything.
Xi Xiuran wasn’t interested in the row of haute couture. After rummaging for a while, he finally found a few relatively casual long-sleeved T-shirts hidden at the very back. He randomly pulled out a black one. Just as he was taking off his clothes to change, his hand unbuttoning the shirt suddenly paused. A throbbing ache came from his right wrist.
Xi Xiuran looked down and realized his wrist was a bit red and swollen. The red finger marks were exceptionally glaring.
Xi Xiuran: “?”
Was it that idiot Ying Huachi grabbing too hard, or was this body nerfed to be too fragile? It turned red from just a pull like that?
Enduring the discomfort in his wrist, Xi Xiuran quickly changed his clothes in a few swift motions. Tugging at the oversized collar, he sighed with emotion: To think I used to be a 1.82-meter handsome guy with an eight-pack! After transmigrating, I was directly nerfed into a 1.78-meter frail youth. Comparing this to the 1.9-meter Big Boss Shi… if this size difference were put into a spicy yellow game, we’d probably be “holding” each other right now, moving from the hovercar to the parking lot, then to the bedroom, then the floor-to-ceiling windows…
Stop right there. Any more thoughts and the chapter will get locked.
Xi Xiuran returned after changing clothes. Because the shirt was too big and black, it made the large patch of skin exposed at his collar look dazzlingly white.
Shi Xingzhou lifted his eyes for a glance. Just as he was about to look away, he saw the wrist Xi Xiuran had exposed after rolling up his sleeves. The youth’s wrist was fair and slender; contrasted against the black clothing, it should have been quite pleasing to the eye, but instead, it bore a row of glaring red finger marks.
—Left behind by another Alpha.
An inexplicable irritation rose in his heart, yet Shi Xingzhou’s expression remained calm. He crooked a finger at the youth.
Sure enough, the very next second, the other party happily leaned over, staring at him with a pair of beautiful green eyes. “What is it?”
Shi Xingzhou pressed a button, and a medical kit appeared between the two soft seats. He said flatly, “Apply medicine.”
Xi Xiuran had been afraid of pain since he was little, but he was used to enduring it, and he found it too bothersome. He said lazily, “No need, it’s just a tiny scratch. I’m not that delicate.”
Before he even finished speaking, Shi Xingzhou took out a spray and coated the red, swollen area on his wrist in a thick layer of gel. Then he took out a bandage and wrapped it up, covering those glaring red finger marks completely.
Xi Xiuran paused. The man’s hands were incredibly beautiful—better looking than all the character models Xi Xiuran had ever made in his games. The joints were well-proportioned, pale as snow, and those long, slender fingers were currently wrapping the bandage around him with practiced skill.
Following the man’s hands, Xi Xiuran’s gaze shifted upward.
The lighting inside the hovercar was soft. Shi Xingzhou had taken off his jacket, wearing only a white shirt paired with sea-blue suit pants. His entire being emanated a gentle and noble aura.
He wasn’t crazy, brutal, or terrifying like the original novel described at all. He was currently looking down, gently applying medicine for him.
I can’t take this, I really can’t take this.
This man was truly too bewitching. Xi Xiuran couldn’t help but sigh aloud, “Admiral Shi, you truly are a good person. You’re too gentle.”
I will definitely find a way to save you.
Shi Xingzhou shot him a half-smile: “Is that so?”
Xi Xiuran nodded without hesitation. His emerald cat-eyes were filled with complete trust, absolutely certain of his own judgment.
Hearing is false, seeing is believing. Xi Xiuran didn’t care how the author wrote it; after spending this period of time together, he had his own judgment.
—Admiral Shi is a gentle, good person who treats him very well.
Shi Xingzhou let out a noncommittal chuckle. His hand was still resting on Xi Xiuran’s wrist. With just a light squeeze—he wouldn’t even need to exert force—this person’s wrist bones would snap in two.
Shi Xingzhou lifted his eyes to look at him, his smile gentle: “Do I need to remind you that just twenty minutes ago, I shattered a man’s wrist and kneecaps?”
Xi Xiuran tilted his head and blinked: “Shouldn’t everyone beat up a dog scumbag when they see one? Admiral, you were eliminating a menace for the people! This is a good deed!”
Clap clap clap clap… Xi Xiuran lightly patted the small square table with one hand, clapping wildly for Shi Xingzhou. If he had the materials, he would have even set off fireworks.
The scumbag’s kneecaps really shattered! Round of applause!
Big Boss Shi is f**king awesome!
Shi Xingzhou didn’t speak. He simply finished the bandaging, finally tying it into a standard and beautiful bow.
Xi Xiuran looked down at the pretty bow, then looked at Shi Xingzhou, then looked back at the bow.
Is this a tough guy necessity?
He was still a bit bewildered: “…Thank you?”
Shi Xingzhou: “Mm.”
Shi Xingzhou retracted his hand, his fingertips rubbing together unconsciously.
Very soft, very smooth.
Just too thin.
***
Midnight.
Inside a detached little villa at the First Imperial Research Institute.
On the large bed in the bedroom, the silver-haired boy lay on his side. His eyes were tightly shut, his brows furrowed, and his forehead was covered in fine sweat. His lips moved, mumbling indistinctly as if trapped in a terrifying nightmare.
“Impossible—!!!”
Landon’s eyes flew open, and he sat bolt upright, terror flashing in his eyes.
Panting, he looked left and right. Upon seeing his familiar bedroom layout, he finally snapped out of it after a long while. “Phew—Scared me to death. So it was just a dream. I knew my idol couldn’t possibly marry such a vicious, terrifying Omega, that O—”
When his gaze landed on the desk across from the bed, Landon froze completely.
On the desk, the holographic screen was still on, emitting a faint white glow. The paused surveillance footage exactly showed the sea-blue-haired youth burying his head in the embrace of a tall, slender man. The man had one hand lightly resting on the youth’s waist, while his other hand was pinching the youth’s earlobe, an unhidden smile still lingering at the corners of his mouth.
The terrifying memories from the day flooded back like a tidal wave. Landon was once again petrified, shattered, crumbling to dust…
Landon hugged his quilt, sobbing aloud, “I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it! How could that Xi Xiuran possibly be the person who deciphered the Ancient Civilization Heritage?! My male god would never marry someone like him… Wuu wuu… There has to be a mistake here…”
“Right! There has to be a mistake!”
Landon wiped away his tears and climbed out of bed. Sitting back at his desk, he took the surveillance video he had already watched nearly eight hundred times and analyzed it frame by frame from the beginning again. Then, he inputted all the data into his personal AI, a massive optical computer.
The AI’s cold electronic voice sounded: “Beginning data analysis…”
“Data analysis complete. No traces of tampering found in the surveillance video. No hidden signals transmitting messages at the scene…”
Landon nervously watched the latest analysis report pop up on the holographic screen. When he saw the final conclusion section, he painfully clutched his chest.
Why!
Why is it still the same result as before?!
It wasn’t someone else who just looked like him, and it wasn’t cheating! Consultant Xi, who deciphered the Ancient Civilization text, was Xi Xiuran himself!
Landon’s meltdown attracted his robot butler. Programmed to strictly monitor Landon’s schedule, the robot butler expressionlessly picked him up, carried him back to bed, wrapped him tightly in the quilt into a giant sushi roll, and simply sat down by the edge of the bed.
Landon: “…”
Forget it, I’ll think about it tomorrow. My schedule is very regular.
It’s definitely not because if I don’t sleep, the robot butler will stab me with a sleep-inducing needle.
Landon closed his eyes, thinking to himself that he needed to sleep, but his brain was still running at high speed, replaying the surveillance video in his mind again. Where exactly did it go wrong? There really weren’t any issues in the research hall.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Landon’s mind. He opened his eyes and sat up in bed. “I’ve got it!”
A red light flashed in the robot butler’s electronic eyes.
“That has to be it! That Xi Xiuran is an idiot, he really isn’t worthy of my idol! Tomorrow I’m going to the Admiral’s Manor to expose… expose…” A sudden stinging pain shot through his arm. A powerful wave of drowsiness hit him like a tsunami. Landon cast a resentful glare at his robot butler, then collapsed face-first onto the bed.
Damn it!
When I wake up tomorrow morning, the first thing I’ll do is dismantle you! Then I’m going to the Admiral’s Manor to expose that vicious…
ZZZ…
T/n: Please Vote on NU to support the novel. You can support the original author here. Happy Reading 💅