Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Wu Hai awkwardly exchanged glances with Morfa, wanting to say something to ease the tension, but Morfa didn't even glance at him.

Feeling uncomfortable, Wu Hai touched his nose, wondering: Isn't this person a Beta? Why does he have a much stronger aura than him, an Alpha?

Moreover, this person didn't act like this when with that little Beta.

Wu Hai was trembling with nervousness, praying internally for Qiuqiu to arrive soon, as he felt overwhelmed by the tall, imposing "Beta" with a cold demeanor.

Perhaps the Goddess of Life heard his earnest prayers, after a restless wait, Qiuqiu finally entered the shop.

Then Wu Hai's jaw dropped in shock, staring at the "Beta" who hadn't spoken a word or shown any expression in front of him, suddenly transform as soon as he saw Qiuqiu.

Not only did he put on a sweet smile, but he also went up to take the backpack and considerately pulled out a chair for Qiuqiu to sit.

"Is this person bipolar?" Wu Hai was utterly baffled.

Out of Qiuqiu's sight, Morfa turned and gave Wu Hai a warning glance. The warm silver eyes from a second ago suddenly turned cold, sending chills down Wu Hai's spine.

Swallowing hard, Wu Hai didn't dare to speak.

Morfa turned back, showing a tender demeanor towards Qiuqiu.

"Have some water, you must be tired," he said while pouring water and massaging Qiuqiu's shoulders, making Wu Hai feel envious.

Lost in thought, Wu Hai heard Qiuqiu suddenly call him, "You can call me Qiuqiu, I still don't know your name."

Wu Hai quickly responded, "Just call me Wu Hai."

Qiuqiu nodded and sipped some water, "Don't be so nervous, just act as usual."

"I-I can't help it," Wu Hai said, trembling uncontrollably even with his hands on the table, making the water glass on it shake too. "Whenever I see you, I get, I get really excited."

Morfa sat next to Qiuqiu, casually crossing his arms, "What's there to be excited about? It's just a few bottles of comfort drugs."

Wu Hai cautiously said, "But it's these few bottles of comfort drugs that saved my life."

He looked at Qiuqiu, his eyes, weathered by a lifetime of suffering, brimming with gratitude.

Qiuqiu put down his water glass and sat up straight.

He said to Wu Hai, "I asked Morfa to keep you here because I need your help with something. Of course, you won't be doing this for free; I'll compensate you generously."

Wu Hai immediately became serious, his eyes burning with determination, "Don't just say one favor, even if it's ten or a hundred, as long as it's within my power, I'll do it for you."

For Wu Hai, Qiuqiu's request seemed like an opportunity to repay a favor, and he agreed without a second thought, ready to give it his all.

Qiuqiu: "Since you're so cooperative, that's perfect."

"What exactly do you want me to do?" Wu Hai asked eagerly.

"You know I sell comfort drugs. But due to personal reasons, I can't come to the black market every day, so I hope you can sell them for me. Ideally, it should be at a fixed time and place, so people in need can find them easily."

As soon as Qiuqiu finished speaking, Wu Hai was visibly confused.

He looked at Qiuqiu, then at Morfa, in disbelief, "You mean, you want me to help you sell comfort drugs?"

Qiuqiu nodded, "Yes. For convenience, I'll produce the comfort drugs, and you handle the sales. It's the best method."

This would save him time and significantly reduce the risk of being targeted for frequenting the black market.

"Of course, as I said, you won't be working for free. I can give you a bottle of comfort drugs every day as payment. How does that sound?"

Morfa snorted, "That's a deal others would kill for."

As for what Wu Hai thought?

He pinched his thigh hard, feeling pain before realizing he wasn't dreaming but had actually heard Qiuqiu say this.

A bottle of comfort drugs! Now priced at an astronomical eleven thousand per bottle, he himself had been reluctant to use his remaining three bottles!

Overwhelmed by the continuous good news, Wu Hai's mind was dazed for a long time, basking in a surreal and euphoric bliss.

He couldn't believe such incredible good fortune had befallen him, so much so that when Qiuqiu asked what he thought, Wu Hai was too stunned to respond immediately.

Morfa waved his hand in front of Wu Hai, "Dazed? He's asking you a question."

The overjoyed Alpha finally came back to his senses, quickly asserting, "Of course! I'd be honored to work for you!"

Morfa muttered under his breath, "You're getting quite the bargain."

Qiuqiu lifted his head, giving him a cool glance. The childish Morfa immediately mimed zipping his mouth shut.

Turning back to the excited Wu Hai, Qiuqiu added, "I'll be able to provide at least fifty bottles of nutritional liquid each day, still at the price of five hundred Imperial coins per bottle. I'm not sure how much it costs to secure a fixed stall in the black market, but for now, I'll entrust today's earnings to you. Use this money to see if you can arrange it."

"Essentially, I'm leaving most of the public selling to you. Handle it as you see fit."

Finishing his words, Qiuqiu slid a light card across the table.

Wu Hai carefully caught it, holding it like a precious treasure in his palm.

He promised, "I'll put in my utmost effort to fulfill the tasks you've given me. Rest assured."

"Good," Qiuqiu nodded, confident he had chosen the right person, "Just come to me regularly for the comfort drugs."

Wu Hai was full of determination, "Sure!"

"We'll officially start this cooperation method from tomorrow," Qiuqiu said, then suddenly his expression changed, clutching the daisy necklace at his collar.

Sensing something was off, Morfa asked, "What's wrong?"

Qiuqiu gave him a look, and Morfa instantly understood, staying silent.

"I have an urgent matter to attend to, I must go now. Proceed as we discussed tomorrow."

Wu Hai was somewhat bewildered, not understanding why things had suddenly taken a turn, but he wisely didn’t ask further, quickly standing up to let Qiuqiu leave.

Long after the two had departed, his gaze following their retreating figures was still filled with concern.

Stepping out of the café, Morfa looked at Qiuqiu with confusion, "What exactly happened?"

Qiuqiu yanked off the necklace around his neck, his expression more serious than ever.

"An Omega is in danger nearby, they've sent out a distress signal, and I've received it."

Morfa furrowed his brows, "An Omega? Could it be him?"

Qiuqiu nodded, "It's close by, not too far. I need to hurry. If I'm late, something bad might happen."

Speaking, he extended his hand, palm up, waiting for Morfa to transform back into a caterpillar and placed him in his pocket.

Qiuqiu looked towards the direction indicated by the alert, his expression unusually grave.

*

Bai Tianxing clutched his mouth, hiding at a corner, his heart pounding violently, almost bursting out of his chest.

He was petrified to the extreme, his round almond eyes widened to their fullest, his ears filled with nothing but the pounding of his heart and his rapid breathing.

"Don't come any closer, please don't come..."

He pressed himself tightly against the wall, too afraid to move, silently praying in his mind, hoping to escape this danger.

"Tap, tap, tap."

Footsteps approached, growing louder, as if they were right beside Bai Tianxing, intensifying his panic to the point where tears were nearly bursting forth.

In his mind, he screamed, "Go away!"

Whether it was the Goddess of Life, worshipped by the citizens of the Empire, who heard Bai Tianxing's prayers or not, the heavy footsteps that were getting closer suddenly stopped, halting not far from him.

Bai Tianxing clamped his mouth shut, daring not to make a sound, struggling even to breathe.

After the footsteps ceased, a conversation drifted over:

"Damn, where did he go?"

"I saw that Omega come in here; he's definitely still around."

"We've been squatting for so long, and finally, we find a high-grade Omega. We can't let him get away."

"Should we search outside?"

"Captain, what do you think?"

He heard someone consulting with someone of higher rank for an opinion.

After a moment of silence, the "captain" finally spoke.

"Spread out and search; he couldn't have gone far."

"Yes, sir."

Then, a flurry of footsteps moved away from Bai Tianxing's location.

Bai Tianxing listened intently and finally relaxed a bit when he could no longer hear them.

He sighed with relief, patting his chest with lingering fear, and waited a while longer before tiptoeing to cautiously check the outside.

"I'm never coming out carelessly again; it's too dangerous," Bai Tianxing thought, moving gingerly.

However, just as he rounded the corner, he hadn't fully relaxed when a black, faceless mask suddenly appeared right before his eyes, splitting into a sinister smile.

"Found you, little rabbit on the run."

“！！”

Bai Tianxing inhaled sharply in terror, his whole body jolted, forgetting even to scream. In that heart-stopping moment, he forgot how to move, his mind screaming to flee but his legs devoid of strength, nearly collapsing on the spot.

He even lost the ability to speak for a moment, his mouth gaping uselessly, unable to utter a coherent word, forced to step back helplessly.

The black, faceless mask kept advancing step by step.

"Why hide when you see us?"

The mask's lips, outlined in the shape of a smile, gave off a chilling, bizarre vibe, and the deep, magnetic male voice was as ominous as a death knell at that moment.

"Don't be afraid~ Come, come here."

"Be a good boy now~"

"No, no—"

Bai Tianxing, cornered by terror from all sides, shook his head frantically, mumbling "no" repeatedly.

He retreated step by step.

"No? Why?" The man seemed puzzled, tilting his head, "Are you scared? But we're just playing a game of chase, right?"

He continued to move closer to Bai Tianxing.

The defenseless Omega, swinging his arms, shouted angrily, "Get away! Leave me alone!"

However, his efforts were futile. The man in the black mask was undeterred by such feeble resistance and quickly caught up to him, gripping his hands firmly.

"You really are naughty," he said discontentedly, "Maybe I'll cut off that mouth of yours first~"

Then he changed his tone, "But no matter, once we take you to that place, you'll quickly learn to obey~"

The black masked man's tone was light, almost childlike, belying the cruelty of his words.

In his view, he wasn't instilling fear in Bai Tianxing but rather inviting him to join in a game.

"Such a pity, you don't know how to play along."

Bai Tianxing, a pampered Omega for over twenty years, protected well by his family and the Dark Star Military Academy, had never faced such danger. Tears streamed down his face, especially after hearing the threat to cut off his mouth, leading to a complete emotional breakdown as he struggled wildly.

"Let me go! Get away!"

"Get off me!"

He was also desperate, having triggered the alarm at the first sign of danger, yet why had no one come to rescue him after so long?!

Whether Alpha or Beta, someone, please come and save him!

The black-masked figure grew impatient, raising his hand and slapping Bai Tianxing sharply, "Quiet down!"

Bai Tianxing's head jerked to the side from the impact, his right cheek turning red almost instantly. The intense pain spread rapidly across his face, but he dared not cry out loud, swallowing his grievances.

It was at this moment he finally realized the true danger he was in, vulnerable to injury or worse at any moment. The one who had hit him was not one of the caring Alphas who had always been around him.

What to do? Was he going to die here today?

Bai Tianxing sobbed uncontrollably, tears streaming, as he fell into utter despair.

Suddenly, his eyes widened, spotting a familiar figure through his blurred vision.

It was him!

Overwhelmed with relief, Bai Tianxing cried out desperately, "Help, help me! He's going to kill me!"

But then, realizing the other person was also an Omega, and even smaller than himself, he steeled his resolve. He headbutted the black-masked man and bit down on his shoulder, yelling, "I'll hold him back, you run!"

The black-masked man, startled, turned his head, only to realize an additional person had appeared. His pupils contracted upon recognizing the newcomer, but his attention was quickly drawn back by the sharp pain in his shoulder.

"Damn it! Let go!"

Never expecting the desperate Omega to have the courage to bite him, the black-masked man was infuriated and raised his elbow to strike Bai Tianxing's head forcefully.

If the blow landed, it would be fatal or cause severe injury.

Qiuqiu, seizing the moment, leaped out from his hiding spot, rapidly moving behind the black-masked figure, and kicked him in the back.

The black-masked man, forced to abandon his attack on Bai Tianxing, kicked him away and leaped to another spot using the wall.

Qiuqiu, halting his attack midway, reached out to catch Bai Tianxing, who was thrown at him like a human sandbag.

In the few seconds his vision was blocked, the black-masked figure raised a gun towards Qiuqiu, firing several bullets in quick succession.

Qiuqiu decisively shielded Bai Tianxing behind him, raising his hand lightly to summon a magical mechanism just before the bullets hit, forming an iron wall in front of them.

"Clang, clang, clang—"

The bullets were completely blocked, leaving only shallow dents on the wall, before clattering to the ground.

Bai Tianxing's eyes widened in disbelief — just a moment ago, he thought both he and Qiuqiu were doomed.

"This is...?"

Qiuqiu succinctly replied, "My ability."

Having said that, he refocused on the battle, his outstretched hand grabbing the air, transforming the iron wall into several small fragments, then into a sharp dagger.

The man in the black mask was also taken aback, murmuring to himself, "So this is your ability."

Knowing his gunfire had alerted others, and continued fighting could quickly draw the security forces, making escape difficult, he pondered his next move.

Reluctantly, the black-masked man threw a glance at Qiuqiu and Bai Tianxing, dropped a small bomb, and used the diversion to make a quick escape.

The loud explosion startled Bai Tianxing into crouching and covering his head. It took him a while to dare to crack his eyes open after the noise ceased.

In the narrow alley, apart from him and Qiuqiu, there was no sign of the third person.

The black-masked figure had fled too quickly and cleanly for Qiuqiu to pursue. He turned to help Bai Tianxing up, his voice cool yet filled with genuine concern.

"Are you okay?"

He looked at the tear-streaked, disheveled Omega, Bai Tianxing, whose cheek was slightly swollen and wrist bruised. It seemed he had suffered more than just that kick before Qiuqiu's arrival.

Unnoticed by Bai Tianxing, Qiuqiu discreetly infused some energy to alleviate his physical pain.

"Ow, ow, ow," Bai Tianxing instinctively started to cry out in pain, but halfway through, he suddenly felt lighter, with no pain at all.

"It doesn't hurt..."

He blinked in confusion, not quite understanding what had happened.

"Crying so loudly, seems like there's no serious problem," Qiuqiu remarked as he let go of Bai Tianxing.

"How can you say that, sob, hic—" Bai Tianxing cried breathlessly, "You have no idea how scary it was just now, sob sob, several people were chasing me, and the leader even said he'd cut off my mouth, and he slapped me!"

While speaking, he turned his face towards Qiuqiu, crying, "It hurts, sob sob, I won’t be disfigured, will I?"

"..." Qiuqiu finally understood why Bai Tianxing had been slapped.

If it were him, he'd also want to find a way to shut Bai Tianxing up.

"Stop crying, I'll take you back to the academy," Qiuqiu said, clearly exasperated by his tears.

Bai Tianxing sniffled, trying to hold back his tears, but his shoulders kept shaking uncontrollably as he choked out, "Okay, okay."

Looking around and finding nothing useful, Qiuqiu reluctantly took off his jacket and put it on Bai Tianxing, "Pull the hood down, it can cover the injuries on your face."

Wearing clothes that had been worn by the small Omega for a long time, still warm and carrying a faint, comforting scent, provided Bai Tianxing with a sense of safety after such a fright.

Seeing the once high-and-mighty Omega now scared and pitiable, Qiuqiu sighed helplessly, "Let's go."

Bai Tianxing nodded, obediently following behind Qiuqiu, tightly clutching the hem of his jacket.

It was only when he returned to his own dormitory, a familiar and safe environment, that he finally started to recover, no longer as frightened.

When Qiuqiu went to get him a glass of water, Bai Tianxing grabbed his hand, "Don’t, don’t go. I'll ask the butler to get water. Just stay here with me."

Resigned, Qiuqiu could only comply and sit back down on the sofa.

Once the butler had poured the water and left, Qiuqiu asked, "How did you manage to get involved with that person?"

Bai Tianxing, holding the warm cup, shuddered at the thought of the black-masked figure but corrected with effort, "Not one, a group."

"You ran into them after losing track of me?"

Bai Tianxing glanced guiltily at Qiuqiu, "You... you knew?"

"You followed me all the way; if I couldn't even notice you, I shouldn't be in the combat department, should I?" Qiuqiu retorted.

Though it sounded a bit insulting...

"Yeah, that makes sense," Bai Tianxing admitted, realizing the logic.

"I noticed you've been mysteriously appearing and disappearing lately, so I got curious about what you were doing. But since you wouldn't tell me, I had to..."

"So you decided to follow me?"

"Um..." Bai Tianxing looked down, his voice growing softer.

Qiuqiu looked at him somewhat exasperatedly, "You were probably targeted by those people as soon as you left the academy."

"Those people were Black Alphas!" Bai Tianxing stubbornly insisted, "I was ambushed by them!"

Qiuqiu: "..." You actually dare to use the word 'ambushed'.

Thinking of what Bai Tianxing had once told him, and having witnessed the brutality of the Black Alphas towards Omegas, Qiuqiu felt Bai Tianxing was indeed very lucky. It was sheer fortune that he was nearby and arrived just in time; otherwise, the consequences would have been more severe than just a slap and a kick.

Bai Tianxing also realized this, his bravado fading away, looking pitifully at Qiuqiu: "Thank goodness you were there, otherwise..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but they both knew what the outcome could have been.

After a brief silence, Qiuqiu said, "It seems Dark Star might not be safe for a while. You can't do anything this risky again. Stay in the academy, I won't always be able to arrive in time to save you."

Bai Tianxing, not taking it seriously: "No matter how many times, you'll definitely arrive in time. You're my lifesaver."

Qiuqiu: "...You're hopeless."

Late in the night, when Qiuqiu suggested going back to his dormitory, Bai Tianxing held onto him, his eyes brimming with tears, imploring earnestly, "I'm scared. Can you stay and sleep with me?"

Qiuqiu hesitated, initially planning to refuse. But considering how fragile Omegas in this world were, akin to delicate objects, he couldn't bear to leave under Bai Tianxing's hopeful gaze.

"Alright, I'll stay with you."

Bai Tianxing's tears turned into smiles, clinging to him, "Qiuqiu, you're so kind."

Qiuqiu stiffened slightly: "Are we close enough to use nicknames?"

"I call you Qiuqiu, and you can call me Xingxing. Nobody else is allowed to use that nickname, only you can."

“……”

"You should sleep."

"I'm scared and can't sleep."

Bai Tianxing lay in bed with his eyes wide open, haunted by the image of a black face mask that had suddenly appeared before him whenever he closed his eyes.

"I'm not lying to you, I really can't sleep."

"How about... you sing a song for me? Maybe then I won’t be scared."

Autumn Sparrow initially wanted to refuse; as a wild canary that grew up in the wild, he had never really heard songs, let alone sung them.

But for some reason, in a moment, the thought of Bai Tianxing calling himself 'Star' triggered the memory of a song in Autumn Sparrow's mind.

As he tentatively began to sing, his clear, youthful voice flowed like a babbling brook, soothing all fears in the darkness.

“Twinkle, twinkle, little star, shining bright... shining bright in the whole sky;”

“Hanging in the sky shining bright, like many little eyes...”

Even with such a simple nursery rhyme, Autumn Sparrow stumbled a bit.

He thought he had no talent for singing, but to his surprise, Bai Tianxing praised him highly: “Autumn, you sing so beautifully.”

“But I've never heard this song before. What’s its name? Is it a folk song from your homeland?”

“Sort of.” It’s for children. Autumn Sparrow silently remarked to himself.

“No, it must be a song written especially for me,” Bai Tianxing earnestly countered.

“Why?”

“Because ‘the whole sky is full of little stars,’ right? I am Star, the little star in the whole sky.”

Autumn Sparrow didn’t argue with him, indulgently agreeing: “Okay, it’s your special lullaby.”

Author's note:

Qiuqiu: "Why aren't you jealous this time?"

Short-sleeved shirt: "It's impossible between two Omegas."