Chapter 3

Chapter 3

*

Boredom.

Pei Ningyu propped his head on his hand, lost in thought as he watched the swirling liquor reflect the dim light, amidst the clamor of music and voices.

Aircraft, firearms, and the war at the Imperial Fortress… Gu Shize and his companions talked endlessly about these topics, making Pei Ningyu yawn, his eyes heavy with sleep.

Utterly bored, Pei Ningyu’s gaze drifted aimlessly until it unexpectedly landed on a corner of the sofa.

The man seated there hadn’t bothered to change out of his base uniform, having already unbuttoned his collar with a libertine air, revealing a well-defined chest. In his arms, he held a beautiful, delicate boy whose gender-ambiguous appearance was even more captivating in the dim light, as he licked the liquor poured onto the man’s chest.

Noticing Pei Ningyu’s gaze, the man turned the boy’s face towards him, forcing the boy to flash an obedient smile under his grip. "Ningyu, do you like this type?"

Pei Ningyu showed a flicker of interest. "An omega?"

The young alphas snickered at his question.

"How could it possibly be an omega?" came the collective reply from the noisy room.

Omegas nowadays were precious beyond measure; the Empire practically enshrined them. They were parceled out to alphas based on lineage and military merit, compelling alphas to risk their lives on the front lines. No omega would ever set foot in a place like this.

The man holding the boy gripped his neck, forcefully pulling down his collar to expose the smooth, glandless nape. "Just a beta."

Pei Ningyu’s interest waned, and he let out a disappointed "Oh."

Gu Shize approached from the other side of the private room, his eyes sweeping over Pei Ningyu’s cold gaze. "Wanting an omega is easy."

He snapped his fingers, subtly summoning a server, and slurred a few words: "Bring the drug."

Drug.

What drug?

On the silver tray presented by the server, the syringe glowed with an eerie amber luminescence. The boy suddenly began to tremble violently, his nails scraping against the tempered glass with a grating shriek, yet the alpha held him immobile. As the needle pierced his nape, his arched neck tensed into a desperate curve.

The pale-yellow liquid was slowly injected into the beta’s nape. His breathing quickened, soft gasps escaping his lips before a burst of citrus scent exploded in the room.

Pei Ningyu’s pupils constricted. He watched as the boy went limp, collapsing to the ground, his legs twitching convulsively, knees scraping blood onto the Persian carpet.

Every carefully cultivated omega posture now manifested naturally—tears welled in his flushed eyes, sweet whimpers escaped his throat, and even the delicate curl of his fingertips was perfectly rendered.

"You can… mark me like an omega… there’ll be no difference…"

"Try it… I’ll serve you all well…"

Perhaps finding the beta beautiful, Pei Ningyu reached out to touch his head.

But before his fingers could make contact, a pained scream tore from the beta’s throat. He collapsed to the floor, writhing violently.

His legs thrashed wildly against the overwhelming pleasure, as if he were a true omega forced into a heat-like state.

Kneeling, the beta convulsed pathetically, his pupils rolling back as he lost all control under the alpha’s pheromones, his earlier allure completely gone.

"Ah! Ah… enough! Stop releasing pheromones!" he screamed incoherently.

Fang Hongwen glared at Gu Shize. "Shize, why did you suddenly release pheromones?"

"The beta was at his prettiest, and Ningyu barely got to look."

Pei Ningyu found the beta’s twisted limbs and ridiculous posture far less appealing now. He nudged the drug-addled beta with the toe of his gleaming black boot. "What’s wrong with him?"

"A new drug. It makes betas temporarily enter an omega-like heat and release pheromones," Gu Shize explained, his warm breath brushing Pei Ningyu’s ear. "With a higher dose, you could even see him…"

Pei Ningyu frowned, pressing his boot down on the beta’s fingers, but the beta didn’t react—he had already passed out.

His eyes were half-open, showing only the whites.

Watching the beta devolve from a person into an animal driven by desire didn’t evoke the same pity Pei Ningyu might feel for an omega. Instead, it turned his stomach.

"How is this like an omega?" he said coldly.

"Disgusting."

His calm gaze swept over each face. "What’s wrong with your tastes?"

Somehow, despite their similar upbringings—some even from families surpassing the Peis—Pei Ningyu wielded absolute authority among them.

No one dared defy him under the weight of his piercing beauty.

In their interactions, everyone carefully monitored Pei Ningyu’s mood, their bold words always tinged with deference.

The moment Pei Ningyu voiced his disdain, someone immediately frowned. "Shize, have someone take this beta away. It really is revolting."

Another chimed in, "Neither beta nor omega—just unnatural."

The same people who had found it amusing moments ago now echoed Pei Ningyu’s disgust.

But Pei Ningyu had no time for their fickleness. A message had just flashed on his neural interface: *"Surprise incoming. 97362."*

*

97362 marked an encrypted location—the sixth underground level of the base’s training grounds: the Royal Correctional Facility. Since last year, the academy had loosened admissions, allowing commoners to enroll. To vent their frustrations under the guise of "maintaining order," noble-born alphas had established the facility.

Officially, it represented imperial authority, disciplining rule-breakers to ensure the empire’s glory shone upon every talent. In reality, it was their playground—somewhere to "have fun."

The message reignited Pei Ningyu’s interest, cutting through his earlier revulsion. He knew exactly who had sent it.

Lately, he’d acquired a new "dog"—obedient, entertaining, and, most importantly, vicious.

Pei Ningyu was more than satisfied with this latest pet, even skipping several of Gu Shize’s gatherings for him.

Though Gu Shize and the others had grown up with him, their conversations always circled back to marriages, politics, or military affairs—dull beyond words.

These pampered alphas couldn’t compare to the creativity of those from the lower strata.

Gu Shize’s group had to mind their "image," to keep things "proper," terrified of scandals. Yin Xishu was different. To cling to Pei Ningyu, he had no bottom line.

To Pei Ningyu, playing with his "dog" was infinitely more fun than watching a beta fake heat. So he didn’t hesitate.

Gu Shize, with his sharp reflexes, caught the message too. His frown was subtle.

Before he could speak, Pei Ningyu cut in bluntly, "Shize, Hongwen, I’ve got something to do."

Gu Shize stiffened, turning to stare at Pei Ningyu in disbelief. He knew Pei Ningyu had been avoiding them lately, but he hadn’t expected such outright dismissal.

Not even bothering with an excuse.

Pei Ningyu’s dark eyes lingered on Gu Shize for a split second—long enough to catch a flicker of hurt.

Now he’s acting even more like that Bernese Mountain Dog.

Every time he visited his grandfather's house and was about to leave, that Bernese Mountain Dog would paw at him and tug at his clothes with its mouth. Only when the servants coaxed it back inside with a bone could he finally leave his grandfather's house.

But right now, he had no bone to distract him with.

Pei Ningyu’s gaze slid past, deliberately skipping over Gu Shize. Even if he noticed, he showed not the slightest intention of soothing Gu Shize’s feelings, brushing him off with a perfunctory, "Next time. I’m leaving now."

This again.

Pei Ningyu had left early multiple times, and he blew them off more often than not.

With Pei Ningyu at the center, they had grown up together, their political instincts ingrained in their blood since their days at the base, pulling each other closer, building connections.

But now, Pei Ningyu would rather play with a bunch of stray cats and dogs than exchange more than a few words with those he’d grown up alongside.

The rift was unbearable.

For a moment, Gu Shize couldn’t quite pin down the emotion churning inside him. Watching Pei Ningyu turn and walk away without hesitation, resentment simmered in his chest.

Aside from Gu Shize, the others also seemed rattled by Pei Ningyu’s departure. No one spoke for a while, letting the room fall into icy silence.

After a long pause, someone finally muttered, "Who does Yin Xishu think he is anyway? Always licking boots, no backbone—no wonder Ningyu likes him."

Another rolled his eyes and sneered, "But he knows how to play the obedient dog. Why don’t you try kneeling too, with flattery dripping from your lips? Maybe then Ningyu would like you as well."

Gu Shize’s expression darkened, as if storm clouds were gathering. "Enough! Aren’t you ashamed?"

The others clammed up, squirming awkwardly, the argument now feeling both awkward and pointless.

With no response possible from the one they were truly addressing, their bickering only grew more hollow.

The gathering ended, and they scattered without another word.