Chapter 95

Chapter 95

In the quiet lounge, sofas were scattered around, and red curtains dragged across the floor. The air was filled with a strong, pungent smell, slightly fishy and sweet, making him feel nauseous.

It was said that some merchants, for huge profits, would make perfumes from the pheromones of top Alphas or Omegas and sell them in the underground black market. Yi Ye had heard from Kaiser that someone had once stolen his pheromones, and a single bottle could net hundreds of thousands of star coins.

It was hard to tell if the smell in the room was ordinary perfume or a simulated pheromone.

But it was disgusting.

The tequila burned hot in his stomach. He pressed his abdomen uncomfortably, already feeling like vomiting, and this smell made it even worse.

"Do you need some water?"

A glass of water was placed beside him. Yi Ye nodded in thanks and took a small sip. The cold water helped clear his mind a bit. He looked at the youth, who didn’t seem like a waiter but more like a noble’s attendant.

The youth indeed nodded, saying he was here with his master.

Master?

Before he could inquire about the master’s identity, the door opened again. Several similarly dressed youths in suits entered, whispering to each other. Yi Ye’s mind was hazy, and despite trying to stay alert, he couldn’t make out what they were saying.

"Sir, this lounge has been borrowed by other guests. Let me show you to another room."

The previous youth came back and grabbed Yi Ye's wrist. He jerked his hand away, the force too sudden, causing him to fall back onto the sofa pillow, panting heavily, his eyes red and watery.

"Sir?"

"No, I'm sober now."

Yi Ye stood up unsteadily.

Something’s not right here.

These people...

Suddenly, his legs buckled, and he fell back onto the sofa. A loud thud rang out, but before the pain hit, Yi Ye stared in shock at the glass of water on the table, realization dawning.

"He has a thing for drugging good-looking men."

Ling Pei's words flashed through his mind.

These people... could they be from the Tenth Seat?

Cursing his rotten luck for catching a pervert’s eye, Yi Ye glared at the tall youths in front of him, his hand sneaking behind him.

"He's going to call for help!"

A warning suddenly rang out from the crowd. The men in black rushed forward, grabbing Yi Ye's shoulders and ripping off his terminal, smashing it against the wall. Shards scattered as he dodged, kicking one of the men in black and flipping over the sofa!

A fierce fight broke out in the lounge. Just a wall away, men and women in the hallway were intimately sharing their life stories, preparing for a passionate one-night stand. The music in Saint Cons Hall was beautiful, the dance floor swaying with charm, and no one knew what was happening inside the room.

"Thud!"

Yi Ye forcefully knocked down one of the men, his fist dripping with blood.

Outnumbered, drugged, drunk, damn it, all the debuffs stacked up. What kind of bad luck did he have in his past lives? Straight men really suffer in this messed-up ABO world.

His energy was rapidly depleting, his limbs heavy as lead from the alcohol and drugs, his chest heaving violently, his body swaying unsteadily.

"Maybe... we... can talk again..."

The men locked eyes, exchanging uneasy glances.

Was there any chance they could work something out?

He spread his hands in a soothing gesture, racking his brain for conditions these men might agree to. Suddenly, footsteps came rushing from behind. In the moment he turned, bang! A club struck the back of his head hard.

Everything went black, and he collapsed.

*

Outside Saint Cons Hall, in the garden.

Several Melville family attendants stood guard outside, exchanging nervous glances, their eyes darting inside. They had all worked for the Melville family for at least three or four years, responsible for the personal safety of young master Eugene, seeing that face every day, day in and day out.

But... it’s uncanny, damn it, it’s just too damn similar...

"Looks like we really do look alike."

Eugene pinched his cigarette, glancing at the nosy onlookers outside, then looked back at the person opposite him.

Bai Chuan, of course, also noticed what those people were thinking, but he didn’t care: "If you’ve got nothing to say, I’m out of here."

This was the first formal conversation between the two.

Even though they looked seventy percent alike, their temperaments and personalities were worlds apart. Eugene's pupils were higher, with more white in his eyes, giving him a naturally disdainful look. Bai Chuan's personality was more indifferent, and at this moment, sitting here with his cousin across from him, he felt nothing, no emotional stir.

Family ties? Hah, the Melville family never believed in that crap.

"Wanna go back to Yi Ye, huh?" The cigarette was suddenly crushed with force, ashes falling onto the marble table. Eugene lifted his eyelids, "Trailing after your brother like a damn dog, like a brother who hasn’t been weaned yet. It’s hard to believe you’ve got Melville blood in you, or maybe it’s your mother’s lowly blood that’s seeped into your bones, making you such a pushover."

Bai Chuan's movement to leave halted. He turned back, his blue eyes icy, scanning the face that was so similar to his own.

"Seems like you’re a perfect fit for a bishop, using family ties just to insult and mock, fits right in with your holy church’s twisted ideals. And, the dog trailing my brother—that’s you, isn’t it?"

He had smelled Eugene's pheromones on Yi Ye, filled with lust and the madness of male courtship, like a hyena, drooling, eager for his treasure.

That must’ve struck a nerve with Eugene, as he fell silent for a moment.

The cigarette burned his fingertip, and the silence was suffocating.

After a while, he suddenly spoke: "Yi Ye cried in front of me."

Bai Chuan's face darkened.

"I told him about your miserable past, and he cried." Eugene still couldn’t understand, "I thought he would despise you like I do, but I was wrong. Instead, he pitied you, shed tears for you. Is this what you call family love?"

"You wouldn’t get what’s between us."

Eugene's face blurred behind the smoke, with a hint of malice, mocking: "I don’t understand? Ethereal family affection! How long can he support you? The Melville family doesn’t believe in family affection. You don’t really think it’s solid, do you?"

"..."

"No, no, no!" Looking at Bai Chuan's expression, he suddenly shook his head, those eyes with more white than pupils lit up sharply, as if they could penetrate the heart, "Yi Ye cried for you because the family affection between you brothers has indeed been well cultivated over the years, but now it seems you’re not, you don’t feel family affection for him!"

Bai Chuan's throat tightened.

Eugene's pupils contracted, as if he had discovered some earth-shattering secret, his momentum gaining the upper hand. His clenched hand loosened, lazily leaning back in his chair, lighting another cigarette.

His greatest joy wasn’t in discovering Bai Chuan's twisted feelings for Yi Ye, but that after so many years of interaction, Bai Chuan would still be nervous about being exposed on this matter.

"It seems Yi Ye really doesn’t like you at all, what a stand-up big brother." He sneered maliciously, "Then you might as well stay the good little brother forever."

Pathetic.

Living in the shadows, liking someone for eight years without any result, seen as nothing more than a younger brother by everyone. No power, no strength, an Omega destined to be a breeding machine, just... utterly pathetic. He burst into laughter, the anger from Yi Ye’s earlier insults vanished, replaced by pure satisfaction.

Perhaps he should take on the responsibility of being a good cousin—how about finding Bai Chuan a proper Alpha?

"..."

Bai Chuan closed his eyes tightly, unable to refute Eugene.

At that moment, a voice suddenly broke the stalemate: "Master Bush, you can’t enter! My master is..."

Both of them looked outside simultaneously. Bush Meihua, with an unusually serious expression, brushed past two attendants and walked straight up to Bai Chuan.

"Where’s Yi Ye?"

His anxiety was palpable. Instantly, everyone understood the urgency of the situation. Bai Chuan immediately took out his terminal, but just as he pressed it, he heard Bush Meihua say, "I’ve tried, can’t reach him."

He lowered his hand, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably, "Pull up the surveillance!"

...

Kaiser yanked at his tie for the fifth time, clearly annoyed. The Omega prattled on about his academy painting and awards. Kaiser tuned him out, but with Commander Moxi watching not far away, he had to humor this Omega to have a chance to see that person in the tower later.

"Master Kaiser, care for some painting lessons? Come over sometime, I’ll teach you."

"Not interested, and I’m not into painting."

The Omega’s eyes welled up. The spoiled boy, unused to such dismissal, broke down instantly.

Commander Moxi glared a warning from across the room. Kaiser frowned, then turned and said, "Maybe, if I’m free."

But the Omega was still not satisfied, tugging at his sleeve, urging him to come tomorrow. The overpowering scent and cloying pheromones mingled. Kaiser reflexively covered his nose and mouth, knowing this was trouble, and looked down to see the boy about to cry again.

At that moment, the sudden ring of a call was a godsend. He immediately pushed the boy away and answered, "Hello—"

"Yi Ye is missing."

...

The boy reached out to take Kaiser’s hand: "Master Kaiser, who is it..."

Slap! His hand was abruptly flung away. He looked up in fear into Kaiser’s eyes, terrified by the surging anger in those golden pupils. He stammered, trying to speak, but Kaiser pushed him aside and quickly disappeared.

Under the luxurious and splendid surface of Saint Cons Hall, turbulent undercurrents were flowing. Various forces hidden among the crowd quickly began to move.

Meanwhile, in a vast, dimly lit bedroom.

"How long will this take to take effect?"

"Depends on the constitution, but at most half an hour. Once it kicks in, Marquis, he’ll be begging and dripping."

"Hahaha, how vulgar, but can a Beta really get wet?"

"Marquis, you don’t understand. Betas are safer than Omegas, no worries about pregnancy, and with this newly developed drug, they can drown in it."

The muffled laughter intertwined and lingered in the ears.

He felt a slight sting in his arm, and Yi Ye struggled to squint his eyes, his head felt heavy. He saw someone injecting a transparent liquid into his body with a syringe, the liquid seemed sinister under the yellow light.

Considering what those two had just said, was it an aphrodisiac, or something else?

Having been injured, disabled, and even died before, Yi Ye never imagined he would one day be injected with an aphrodisiac.

"Marquis, he seems to be awake."

"Oh?"

A hand reached out to pinch Yi Ye's chin, forcing him to look up.

He didn't bother resisting, tilting his head to look at the Marquis. His vision was blurred, as if through a haze, but he could vaguely see a head of curly gray hair, the man looked to be in his sixties or seventies, his face covered with wrinkles and freckles.

"...The Tenth Seat?"

"Ha, so you recognize me?" the Marquis murmured in admiration. "It seems the gods have destined us. Do you know how captivating you are, child?"

From the moment this young man entered the Saint Cons Hall, he had been captivated. The long black hair, the upright posture, the straight and long legs, the sleek outfit hugging his well-built frame, with only a bit of skin exposed by the half-gloves, yet it was like a spring in the desert, stirring up wild desire.

Dressed like the quintessential military academy student, yet with a casual smile on his face.

So damn alluring.

The Marquis's fingers touched the youth's face, feeling hot and smooth, his soul trembling with desire, thinking it would be no loss to die the next second.

Yi Ye struggled to keep his eyes open, disgusted, his skin crawling. He tried to move the shackles on his hands, locked, with the key hanging on the Marquis's waist.

The drug was gradually taking effect, his body starting to heat up, his breathing becoming faster. The fitted pants strained against his muscular thighs, the beautiful lines visible to the naked eye.

"Feeling uncomfortable, aren't you, child?" the Marquis touched his Adam's apple. "Don't worry, Father will take care of you soon."

Damn it!

Can this guy just shut the hell up!

Yi Ye cursed inwardly, maintaining a calm expression with great effort. "It's... the Emperor's birthday celebration... Are you really going to do this in front of everyone? The other Senate members are outside, aren't you afraid of being discovered by Judge Ai Linya and the others?"

"Silly boy, who dares to arrest me?" the Marquis squatted down, his face pressed against the fabric of his calf muscle, rubbing slowly as if intoxicated, murmuring about how good it smelled, then coming back to answer him. "The twelve Senate seats are hereditary, not interfering with each other. Even the Emperor wouldn't dare touch me."

"Ah... You smell divine; I wish you were my child. How about I pass my seat to you in the future?"

"..."

Yi Ye suppressed the urge to kick this man away, giving a perfunctory reply while surveying the surroundings.

The sky outside the window wasn't completely dark yet, indicating he hadn't been unconscious for long. He must still be in the palace, though the exact location was uncertain. His terminal had been smashed by those people, making it impossible to contact the outside. A group of black-clad bodyguards stood by the door, along with someone in a white coat who might be a doctor or something.

He had been drugged, the side effects of alcohol hadn't worn off, and now he had been injected with an aphrodisiac. Escaping alone was out of the question... Damn it, my head hurts!

"You want to have me, don't you?"

He pushed down all the chaotic thoughts, looking at the disgusting old man who was getting off on holding his leg.

"Child, it's making love."

Screw your idea of making love.

Yi Ye closed his eyes, his voice hoarse. "There are too many people, make them leave."

"That's not acceptable."

"..."

"You want to... sleep with me, but you won't agree to this simple condition?" He lowered his head, his jet-black hair sticking to his pale cheeks from sweat, his breath trembling.

A determined student of the Imperial Honor Military Academy now looked fragile, his neck lowered, completely exposing the fair skin where his gland was located. It was a divine masterpiece.

The Marquis gasped, visibly moved.

"I can die in battle, but I won't let myself be humiliated like this..." Yi Ye pinched the skin on the back of his hand, blinking, a tear falling like a pearl. Then, as if ashamed of his tears, he bit his lip and looked away, "Just let them go, and I'll do whatever you want."

The Marquis was struck by that tear, his heart yearning to touch his face.

"Marquis, don't fall for his act. What if he tries something?" The man in the white coat interjected, "He just took out everyone single-handedly."

"I'm shackled, sir... Can't you show me the same mercy as the Marquis?"

The man: "I..."

Yi Ye looked with restrained grievance: "I'm a Beta who worked hard to join the Imperial Honor Military Academy and reach the main planet. I'll do whatever it takes, but I don't want to die here or be disgraced..."

He looked at the Marquis, "Marquis, with all your experience, you get me, right?"

"My poor, pitiful child."

The Marquis caressed his face and eyes, then stood up, "All of you, get out! Don't ruin my fun."

"Marquis—"

"Get out!"

The crowd quickly exited the room, the door closing tightly.

The Marquis quickly started to strip off his outer clothes and pants, but Yi Ye sat on the cushioned chair, his ankles locked to the chair legs, his legs closed, making it difficult to remove his pants. He frowned, looking up into Yi Ye's tear-filled eyes.

The black-haired youth whispered, "Could you unlock my foot shackles first, please?"

The Marquis swallowed hard, never so captivated by a beautiful youth before. Like an eager boy, he quickly pulled the key from his belt and unlocked the shackles. With a click, the shackles fell to the ground. He grabbed Yi Ye's leg, ready to pull down his pants, but hesitated.

The youth leaned back slightly, lifting his leg to press against the Marquis's chest.

"My child, what are you doing?"

"Can I... do it myself?"

Watching the cadet undress himself seemed like a good idea. The Marquis let go but couldn't fully trust Yi Ye to unlock his hands, forcing him to drink half a cup of water laced with a heavy dose of sedative before taking out the key.

He stood there, watching the sweat-drenched youth rise from the chair, his slender fingers slowly undoing the buttons of his coat, piece by piece, the clothes falling to the ground, leaving only the vest and the white shirt underneath.

His breathing was ragged and uneven.

He reached out to touch the youth's slightly protruding chest when suddenly, a black shadow flashed before his eyes! The vest smothered the Marquis's face, silencing his cries for help. He thrashed wildly, his legs flailing in the air!

Yi Ye's pale face was flushed, but his expression was icy cold. His tongue was bitten, blood trickling down his lips as he opened his mouth. Using all his strength, he covered the Marquis's mouth and nose, dragging him to the bed, his large hand gripping the back of his head, smashing it repeatedly against the hard edge of the bed.

Blood splattered on the wood, dripping to the ground.

The man went still.

Exhausted, he released his grip and staggered toward the window. He pushed the window open and looked down. Third floor, nine meters, with bushes below—jumping would leave him either crippled or injured. But without a moment's hesitation, Yi Ye stepped onto the windowsill.

"Yi Ye!!"

As the door was slammed open, several shocked voices rang out.

The motion to jump halted, and Yi Ye turned around. Through his blurry vision, he saw familiar figures. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't have the chance. His strength completely drained, and he suddenly went limp, collapsing backward.

Thud—

He was caught.

He was enveloped in a comforting presence as Bai Chuan held him firmly, his weak hand gripping Bai Chuan's clothes.

"Take me... back..."

"Hurry..."