Chapter 166: Third Mark

Chapter 166: Three Marks

The Ye family's banquet was held after dusk.

The iron gate blocking the road at the mountain entrance swung open, and countless guests flooded in and out. Meanwhile, Shi Lv was kept in the old mansion, learning etiquette.

To Elder Ye, this child who had unexpectedly appeared shared no familial bond with him—only blood ties. If Shi Lv wanted to inherit his position, he had to obediently become a symbol of the Ye family and bring him pride.

Elder Ye was an extremely domineering and authoritarian figure who tolerated no dissent. He didn’t even consider Shi Lv's opinions before dumping everything he needed to manage onto him.

Not only that, but he also made veiled and direct threats, implying something along the lines of: "Be obedient, and riches and status will be yours. Otherwise, there are plenty of ways to make you disappear from Haicheng."

Shi Lv was at a loss for words, his expression darkening. System 66 cut in, its voice trembling: "Host! Remember the mission!"

Shi Lv rolled his eyes impatiently, forced to bite his tongue.

The mission—only by completing it could he go home.

And Shi Lv truly, desperately wanted to go home.

Unlike previous hosts: some with weak family ties, others outright orphaned, or those who had transmigrated into their original era without discomfort—Shi Lv had living parents, a harmonious family, and was well-liked among friends.

Dropped into an ABO world, burdened with massive debt and no support, it was impossible not to miss home. The system had given him a chance to return, and he would naturally seize it.

Fortunately, the original host was incompetent, and the etiquette the system demanded wasn’t overly strict. Shi Lv learned most of it, changed into a tailored suit with gemstone cufflinks, and followed Elder Ye to the event.

Throughout, System 66 perched on his shoulder, repeatedly emphasizing: "Don’t talk to Liang Xu! Don’t look at him! Right now, you despise him—loathe him fiercely. Make sure everyone knows you despise him, got it?"

Shi Lv: "Yeah, yeah, I got it."

He cursed under his breath: "Was the original host an idiot?"

Liang Xu was so knowledgeable and handsome, yet the original host hadn’t liked him? What a moron.

The grand hall of the Ye mansion was newly decorated, the banquet alive with clinking glasses. The air was thick with the scent of red wine and seafood, decadent and intoxicating. Champagne cascaded down the tower, carried by servers to every corner. Haicheng’s elite had all gathered, their voices mingling in laughter and conversation.

Shi Lv suppressed his impatience and took Elder Ye’s arm.

Unless something went wrong, this would be Elder Ye’s last public banquet before his death.

With an unexpected heir, Elder Ye was beaming. He introduced Shi Lv to the assembled dignitaries, smiling as he asked them to look after him. Out of respect for Elder Ye, they treated Shi Lv with courtesy. Everyone gathered together, wearing polite smiles, creating an illusion of harmony.

Meanwhile, Liang Xu sat alone among the crowd, his face still wearing a faint smile. He concealed all emotions behind his mask, as if nothing had happened.

His gaze swept over Shi Lv’s face, carrying a hint of knowing resignation.

When Zhang Ping had informed him that the Ye family had recovered a long-lost child, Liang Xu had already guessed.

Pheromones were deeply personal. In a vast sea of people, two unrelated individuals sharing similar pheromones was possible—but far more likely was that they shared the same bloodline.

Before, Liang Xu had simply considered himself lucky to have found Shi Lv on the verge of breaking. But connecting Shi Lv’s mysterious origins to Elder Ye’s sudden recognition, everything became clear.

Shi Lv was the long-lost illegitimate child.

What he had thought was fate’s kindness was merely another twist of fate.

At past gatherings, Liang Xu had always been surrounded by a crowd. As the acting head of the Ye family and a rising power, countless people had eagerly sought to flatter and curry favor with him. But these same people were acutely sensitive to shifts in the political winds.

Now that the Ye family’s true heir had returned, what use was the widow of a dead heir?

So, he sat alone in the corner drinking, not bothering to mingle, while the space around him remained strangely empty—not a single soul approached him for conversation.

That’s just how the world worked.

Liang Xu seemed to have anticipated this and was all too familiar with such scenes. His face showed no cracks, nor any trace of bitterness or frustration, leaving the gossipmongers disappointed.

Whispers carried from nearby:

"Liang Xu still manages to sit there calmly."

"What choice does he have? Elder Ye has already given New Leaf’s spot to someone else. Can he oppose it? Qiao Si is watching from the sidelines."

"Young Master Shi didn’t even greet him. I heard he used to be his intern—guess their relationship was never good."

"Ha! What subordinate ever gets along with their boss? Most just wish their boss would get run over. Probably, Liang Xu offended the real young master back when he was just an intern. Now that their roles are reversed, he’s here to salvage his pride."

They didn’t even try to whisper, their words sharp and merciless. Liang Xu acted as though he heard nothing, silently refilling his glass in the corner.

He ignored the endless chatter.

Tonight was supposed to be the night for the third mark.

The back of his neck burned faintly—the first warning of his heat. In just two hours, an overwhelming fever would spread through his body, exploding into an inferno.

Zhang Ping had contacted Shi Lv in advance, but Liang Xu knew there would be no third mark.

Having led New Leaf for so many years, Liang Xu understood how power corrupts better than anyone. It could effortlessly twist a person into something unrecognizable. Shi Lv was now the newly acknowledged heir of the Ye family, swimming in wealth and status. He was the star of the show, the subject of everyone’s whispers. No one could resist the allure of being surrounded by flattery and attention—Liang Xu was no exception, and neither would Shi Lv be.

On a night like this, Shi Lv likely wouldn’t spare a thought for some forgotten agreement.

A hundred grand was life-changing for an intern, but for the heir of the Ye family? Pocket change.

Shi Lv was slightly different from the usual social climbers—he was decent at heart. Liang Xu couldn’t predict how quickly he’d be corrupted, or how soon he’d become unrecognizable. But after tonight, he had his answer.

He had sat through half the banquet, and Shi Lv hadn’t so much as glanced in his direction.

Liang Xu closed his eyes briefly. Though he had expected this, the bitterness lingered.

They should have been in that fuzzy in-between stage, but now, with Shi Lv’s new status, even a glance felt like too much.

Liang Xu had always been perceptive, knowing when to push and when to back off. Shi Lv’s attitude was crystal clear—there was no need to humiliate himself further.

What he didn’t know was that Shi Lv’s system was yelling in his ear nonstop.

66: "Liang Xu is at your right rear! Don’t look to the right rear!"

66: "Left front! Left front! Avoid the left front!"

"Six o’clock direction—no, five o’clock!"

It was nonstop, frantic—if one didn’t know better, they’d think it was guiding a fighter jet rather than steering Shi Lv away from Liang Xu.

Shi Lv rubbed his temples, exasperated. "Got it, got it. I’ll stare at the ceiling, alright?"

He maintained his practiced smile, mingling with the guests.

By the time the banquet reached its midpoint, the burning at the back of Liang Xu’s neck had grown unbearable. The primal craving for pheromones made him instinctively seek Shi Lv, but he forced himself to suppress it. A little unsteady, he got up to leave, exiting the Ye mansion unnoticed.

Meanwhile, the banquet was in full swing. Elder Ye, in high spirits, had even indulged in a few drinks, his face glowing with satisfaction. Liang Xu, however, was an extra, barely noticed—a complete outsider. His departure stirred no ripples, drawing no attention. Yet at the heart of the celebration, Shi Lv stole a glance at his watch and cursed under his breath.

If that old coot doesn’t let him leave soon, he won’t make it to his appointment with Zhang Ping’s younger cousin.

Shi Lv always keeps his promises. Once he agrees to something, he rarely changes his mind. Besides, the Omega’s condition was critical—mentally ill and suffering from photosensitive epilepsy—so Shi Lv couldn’t just abandon them.

If he broke his promise because of that old man, he’d feel guilty.

Fortunately, Elder Ye was getting on in years and couldn’t stay up much longer. Around ten o’clock, he bid farewell to the guests and was helped back to his room, while Qiao Si approached Shi Lv to take him to his room.

Shi Lv: "I want to go back to my place."

Qiao Si gave a tight-lipped smile: "Apologies, but you must stay here."

Elder Ye had a terrifying need for control. Now that he had acknowledged Shi Lv as a proper Ye family heir, Shi Lv was expected to live in the ancestral home to solidify his status.

Qiao Si was his loyal attack dog, acting solely on Elder Ye’s orders. He immediately blocked Shi Lv’s path, making it clear leaving wasn’t an option.

Aside from Qiao Si, there were several other bodyguards, all tall and imposing. Shi Lv glanced around and sighed, "...Fine."

He followed Qiao Si into a room on the second floor overlooking the garden.

As the night deepened and the banquet drew to a close, the guests gradually dispersed, leaving the mansion quiet. Only scattered garden lights remained. After observing the security patrols from inside, Shi Lv suddenly tore down the curtains and tied them to the balcony railing.

66: "!"

It watched Shi Lv warily, sensing its host was up to no good, but it was powerless to stop him.

Shi Lv tested the strength of the curtains, then climbed onto the balcony and slid down effortlessly.

His movements were fluid and effortless, downright impressive.

66: "!!!"

As it stared in shock, Shi Lv dusted off his hands and thought, "Who knew those college fire drills would pay off like this?"

Shi Lv didn’t know if it was luck or what, but his high school and college military training had been rigorous—no slack given whatsoever. He’d learned basic skills like crawling, wall-climbing, pole-climbing, and fire drills. Combined with his youth and stamina, a second-floor balcony was nothing to him. If not for needing to climb back up later, he wouldn’t have even bothered with the curtains.

So, 66 could only watch helplessly as its host crossed the garden, vaulted the iron fence, and tucked into a roll, landing cleanly on the mountain path.

66: "..."

There were still three kilometers to the main road—private land, no taxis in sight. Undeterred, Shi Lv walked the entire way until he reached the highway.

Then, he pulled out his phone and hailed a ride to Zhenhai Hotel.

66: "..."

It was on the verge of a meltdown.

Twenty minutes later, Shi Lv stood outside the 29th-floor suite of Zhenhai Hotel.

By now, Liang Xu was fading in and out of consciousness.

Zhang Ping sat half-upright beside the bed, dabbing his boss’s feverish skin with a cold cloth, but it was a losing battle. The cool water quickly warmed against the feverish body, and despite changing it multiple times, there was little relief.

Liang Xu’s forehead was drenched in sweat, his lips frighteningly pale. Zhang Ping whispered comfortingly, "Stay with me. You’ve made it through worse—a few more hours, and it’ll pass. Just hold on."

The only response was a guttural moan.

But having once been marked by an alpha was worlds apart from never having been marked at all.

Liang Xu had never felt his rut to be this unbearable before. His internal organs seemed to twist and swell with pain, waves of numbness and soreness assaulting him all at once. It felt as though ants were crawling through his veins, the agony so intense he wished he could carve out his own mating gland entirely. It took every ounce of his self-control not to claw at the back of his neck.

The pain... unbearable.

Liang Xu buried his face in the pillow, and Zhang Ping pressed him gently. "Boss, you'll suffocate like this. Take a breath."

Weakly, Liang Xu pushed his hand away, shaking his head almost imperceptibly. "...No."

At this moment, the slight suffocation became a perfect distraction from the torment.

Yet, amid the unrelenting torment, Liang Xu's soul seemed to hover above, detached. He thought bitterly, *If only there had never been a bonding contract in the first place.*

If there hadn't been, if he had never known the addictive comfort of a mate's mark, today wouldn't be so excruciating.

What made it even more despairing was that he had no idea how much longer this would last.

But then, three knocks sounded at the door.

As Liang Xu's body tensed and his breath hitched, the nervously hesitant voice of the Junior Intern spoke up from outside.

"Um... should I... stay tonight?" God... the pain.