Chapter 117: Shock! Shen Zhixue’s Identity!

Chapter 117: Shock! Shen Zhixue's Identity!

Shen Zhixue was outside, as anxious as a cat on a hot tin roof, but he also knew that the aggression Jiang Huizhou displayed during his heat was unparalleled. His strength alone was insufficient to breach this barrier.

At the moment, his only option was to stand before the barrier.

"Is Young Fedel in labor?" The Duchess's voice sounded from behind, and Shen Zhixue turned to look at her.

The Duchess raised her hand and touched the barrier, whispering softly, "Young Fedel, it doesn't hurt, it will be over soon. Mother will always be here with you, okay?"

"Your Grace," Shen Zhixue asked, "Do you know how to open this barrier with the least impact?"

Jiang Huizhou's heat had come too suddenly, and they were completely unprepared. They didn't know how long this heat would last, and he really didn't want to wait outside.

The Duchess paused for a moment, then gazed at Shen Zhixue tenderly, "Do not disturb him. Young Fedel is strong enough to endure this. He's my child, and I believe in him."

Shen Zhixue urged, "But..."

The Duchess reached out and took his wrist, "You understand him better than anyone, do you not?"

Shen Zhixue was briefly taken aback. For a brief moment, he seemed to detect a hint of an indescribable emotion in the Duchess's eyes. He didn't know what it was, but a voice deep within him seemed to suggest that the Duchess might not be as simple as she appeared.

Was it really just an accident that she had administered Jiang Huizhou's medication incorrectly?

Shen Zhixue broke out in a cold sweat.

He quickly shook his head, dismissing this startling thought. The Duchess was just a helpless woman; how could she intentionally harm Jiang Huizhou?

While he was lost in thought, Jiang Huizhou inside the barrier seemed to have calmed down. He sat on the other side of the barrier, his gaze fixated on Shen Zhixue outside with an intense fixation.

"Jiang Huizhou?" Shen Zhixue pressed his palm against the barrier, "Can you hear me?"

After a while, Jiang Huizhou nodded slightly, then slowly leaned his face closer, pressing it against the barrier, right against Shen Zhixue's palm, and gently rubbed it, "Touch me, Zhi Zhi."

Shen Zhixue bit his lip, his hand moving slightly on the barrier, and whispered, "You've come back to your senses, haven't you?"

Jiang Huizhou rested for a while before nodding slowly, "Forgive me, did I frighten you?"

"No," Shen Zhixue crouched in front of the barrier, "So, has your heat ended?"

"Not that quickly," Jiang Huizhou shook the blood off his hand, "But tomorrow is the court banquet. I must get out of this barrier."

Shen Zhixue exclaimed in surprise, "You're severely injured..."

"I have to stay in the shadows, Zhi Zhi. I trust no one within the entire Federation," Jiang Huizhou gently pressed his forehead against the barrier, his voice hoarse, "I can't afford to gamble, and I don't want to. Summon Fidel. I need to discuss with him. Only he can open this barrier."

Shen Zhixue nodded and ran towards the villa.

Soon, Fidel followed Shen Zhixue to the barrier.

"I did not anticipate your recovery of senses to be so swift," Fidel said with admiration, "I thought you'd be in a frenzy in there for at least a few more days."

"Release me," Jiang Huizhou said firmly.

"No, the heat necessitates at least seven days of safety. Your return to senses is merely temporary," Fidel refused, "If I release you, who knows when you'll lose control again? The heat requires at least seven days of safety. Don't worry, I shall release you after seven days."

"I don't have that much time. Release me now!" Jiang Huizhou frowned, struck the safety barrier in frustration. This was a normal reaction during the heat; alphas grow sensitive and irritable, prone to releasing pheromones and attacking those nearby at any moment.

Therefore, young Alphas typically spend their rut period in specially designed safe rooms in hospitals, equipped with various omega pheromone suppressants and ample space for release. When an Alpha cannot control self-harm or suicidal tendencies, intelligent robots monitor their vital signs and mental state. Once they lose control, the Alpha is injected with an anesthetic.

This is far safer and more comfortable than Jiang Huizhou’s makeshift barrier. If they can’t even feel secure keeping him in the safety barrier, how could they possibly let him out?

"I remember," Jiang Huizhou said with difficulty, leaning on the safety barrier, his voice hoarse, veins bulging on his forehead. "During an Alpha’s rut, there’s a drug that can suppress pheromone and hormone surges."

"Yes, but it’s a banned drug!" Fidel thought Jiang Huizhou was out of his mind. Staying in the safety barrier might be uncomfortable, but using such a strong suppressant is no different from slow suicide. "Moreover, it doesn’t eliminate the pheromones and male hormones surging through your body; it only temporarily suppresses them. Do you know what that means? It means that once the drug wears off, you’ll be overwhelmed by your own pheromones and turn into a monster."

"I can’t worry about that now!" Jiang Huizhou gritted his teeth. "I need to inject a high-strength suppressant now, within three minutes, while I can still think clearly."

"If you want to die, fine, but ask him," Fidel pointed at Shen Zhixue. "Can he handle you taking such a huge risk? Aren’t you just worried that he might be harmed by Princess Sith at the palace banquet? As your partner, I can help with this. I’ll send people to protect him."

Jiang Huizhou took a deep breath. "Get the suppressant. I don’t trust you on this."

"You’re something else," Duke Fidel said with a sneer. "Fine, it’s your life, not mine to worry about."

Shen Zhixue, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up. "Wait."

Fidel looked at him. "What else do you need?"

Shen Zhixue glanced at Jiang Huizhou. "Don’t give him that suppressant, please."

Fidel laughed. "You two are quite the pair, aren’t you? But I’m his partner, not yours, remember? I don’t have to listen to you, do I?"

Shen Zhixue said, "If he dies, what kind of partnership are we talking about?"

Jiang Huizhou looked at him, gritting his teeth. "Zhi Zhi, please listen to me. I have a way to reduce the damage from the suppressant. The consequences won’t be as bad as Fidel says. It’s too dangerous for you to go by yourself. If anything goes wrong..."

Shen Zhixue made a stop gesture. He crouched in front of the safety barrier, placed his palm on it, and made a stroking motion. "I told you, I came to the Federation because the world of equality you spoke of moved me. I’m here to help you, not to be your caged bird."

Jiang Huizhou opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he didn’t know what to say.

He knew Shen Zhixue well. He might seem gentle and easy to handle, but when it came to action, he was even more resolute than Jiang Huizhou.

After speaking, Shen Zhixue stood up from the safety barrier and said, "I hope you can ensure his safety."

Fidel nodded. "Naturally."

Shen Zhixue didn’t doubt the truthfulness of Fidel’s words, as Jiang Huizhou was still useful to him.

He turned around and said, "Then I’ll go prepare for tomorrow’s banquet. Goodbye. I hope you’ll be out by the time I return."

Jiang Huizhou slammed the safety barrier. "Shen Zhixue!"

Shen Zhixue ignored him, and his figure quickly disappeared from Jiang Huizhou’s sight. Jiang Huizhou narrowed his eyes and whispered, "Fidel, you must know what I want to do. My goal doesn’t conflict with the Federation’s interests at all."

"Oh, I know, my dear child," Fidel shrugged. "Otherwise, I wouldn’t have let you use the Duke’s status and position to act so recklessly."

"But if something happens to him," Jiang Huizhou said, "I can’t guarantee that my recklessness will stay within acceptable limits."

Fidel chuckled. "You two, one wants me to protect you, the other wants me to protect him. But poor old Fidel only has two hands and can only protect one person. So, I choose to prioritize protecting the person who is useful to me."

Jiang Huizhou struggled to maintain his composure and said, "If this plan succeeds, he will be the long-lost prince of the Empress, which is beneficial to you in every way."

"That’s not important," Fidel said. "The Duchess recognizes you."

Jiang Huizhou felt a surge of violent energy rushing to his head, as if something inside him was screaming and roaring, with waves of desire constantly eroding his sanity.

To stay clear-headed, Jiang Huizhou had no choice but to dislocate his own arm!

The intense pain made his vision darken for a moment, but it at least gave him a slight advantage in the battle against his desires. He gasped and said, "From the moment the Duchess made me drink the medicine, you probably already knew this would happen. Your goal was to trap me and let Shen Zhixue attend the banquet alone."

Fidel raised an eyebrow.

"Before, you always pretended to be indifferent, never questioning or interfering with my actions, trying to trick me into letting my guard down around you..." Jiang Huizhou spoke word by word, "I don't know your purpose, but you went to such great lengths to set up this scheme. I think it must be to cause Shen Zhixue trouble at the palace banquet. So, the DNA test I prepared probably won’t be needed, right?"

"You're actually quite clever," Fidel chuckled, "and very cautious. I never got the chance. You seem to trust no one around you. However, you’re still too soft-hearted. You let your guard down with the Duchess."

Jiang Huizhou leaned his head against the barrier and, after a long while, sighed, "So, can you tell me now what your purpose is in doing this?"

Fidel raised an eyebrow in surprise, "You still don't know?"

Jiang Huizhou frowned, "Know what?"

"Your wife, your lover, isn’t who you think they are," Fidel found it somewhat amusing, "Didn’t you ever notice that at some point, they started acting completely different?"