Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Neither of them had anticipated this encounter.

Lu Mingye’s gaze fell upon the omega in Chen Zui’s arms. The omega, seemingly disoriented, had his hands draped around Chen Zui’s neck, appearing ready to plant another kiss.

His expression unwavering, Lu Mingye shifted his gaze. Chen Zui had already walked past him, carrying the omega. This time, the scent wasn't rose but peach.

It was as if they were complete strangers.

Lu Mingye had come to drink because he was in a foul mood, and now it had worsened. With a darkening face, he headed toward an empty seat. Usually, the moment Chen Zui saw him, he’d pounce like a dog spotting meat, eager to take a few bites. But now, with a beauty in his arms, he completely ignored Lu Mingye.

So, during the times he wasn't appearing before Lu Mingye, he was getting hot and heavy with someone else.

The bar lights flickered, and a green beam fell across Lu Mingye’s face. He paused mid-step. That omega seemed to be in heat—he had caught a strong whiff of peach pheromones when they brushed past each other.

An idea sparked in Lu Mingye’s mind.

What would transpire between an alpha and an omega in heat was almost a foregone conclusion. But if he could convince the omega that Chen Zui had taken advantage of his heat and forced himself upon him, the law was very strict on such matters. Chen Zui would surely be sent to prison, and Lu Mingye could arrange for people inside to make him suffer thoroughly.

The more Lu Mingye considered it, the more feasible it seemed. Confident of success, he turned and hurried out after them. As for how to persuade the omega—that was simple: money would take care of it.

Chen Zui deposited the omega into the aircraft, started it, and prepared to depart.

Ao Tian: "Just leaving like that—won’t Blackheart Cake misunderstand and get angry?"

Chen Zui: "That would be quite amusing."

Ao Tian: "Then, when he can’t bear it anymore, he confronts you with an emotional outburst, realizes his feelings for you, his favorability skyrockets, and he proactively sleeps with you—perfect~"

It had to be said, Ao Tian’s imagination was rather optimistic.

Lu Mingye followed behind Chen Zui’s aircraft, eagerly anticipating what would unfold. Since Chen Zui couldn’t control his urges, he would make him pay.

They passed many hotels along the way. Lu Mingye grew impatient—why not just pick any hotel? Then it occurred to him: had Chen Zui already begun in the flyer?

It didn’t matter where it happened. As long as it happened, Lu Mingye could send him to prison, ensuring he’d never see the light of day again.

The Blackheart Cake was truly black-hearted.

Following closely, Lu Mingye watched as the aircraft turned a corner. His pupils widened in confusion at the sight of the hospital ahead. What did this mean?

Chen Zui’s aircraft came to a stop. Moments later, he saw Chen Zui carrying the omega out of the aircraft and heading straight into the hospital. Both their clothes were perfectly tidy, showing no signs of any illicit activities.

Lu Mingye was stunned.

Since when was Chen Zui such a gentleman?

Then what did that make the Chen Zui he faced?

Just his tough luck?

Chen Zui registered the omega, handed him over to the doctors, and explained the situation. Even the doctors and nurses looked at him with newfound respect. After all, he was an alpha who had resisted such temptation—he must be a decent person.

Lu Mingye watched as Chen Zui emerged alone, got into his aircraft, and left.

Things hadn’t unfolded as he had imagined. His plan had fallen through, but he wasn’t particularly disappointed. He sat in his aircraft, lost in thought.

Ao Tian: "Favorability 10%. Wow, it went up 2% this time. Why?"

Ao Tian had never quite grasped the reasons behind Lu Mingye’s increases in favorability. For a system, human emotions were still too complex. Moreover, the Blackheart Cake’s favorability rises were paltry, always ticking up by 1% or 2%. Reaching 70% seemed like a long and arduous journey.

Chen Zui smoked a cigarette, the rose fragrance filling the aircraft—not just from the cigarette but more from the pheromones he was emitting. Uncomfortable, he ripped off his scent patch. A rush of heat rose within him.

Experiencing the influence of pheromones for the first time, Chen Zui found this world increasingly fascinating.

He took out an inhibitor and, somewhat awkwardly, administered it to himself.

"You could have done it with him, you know," Ao Tian said. "Our Dark Transmigration Bureau doesn’t require hosts to only engage with mission targets. So, you’re free to get it on with whoever you want."

There was no need to hold back like this. Even after taking the inhibitor, he’d still feel uncomfortable.

Chen Zui tossed the empty inhibitor tube into the trash. It wasn’t that he was particularly chaste—it was just that the omega wasn’t his type. Moreover, taking advantage of someone in heat and not in their right mind was no different from having sex with a corpse. He had no interest in that.

Chen Zui closed his eyes, waiting for the drug to take effect and for his body to calm down.

—

Lu Mingye hadn’t expected Shen Yanzhi to seek him out directly, even showing up at his home. He stared at the alpha visible on the door cam and cursed inwardly: *Fool.*

Coming to his lair—he could kidnap him, lock him up in the basement, break his legs. Even if he opened the door, he wouldn’t be able to escape.

The thought excited Lu Mingye, twisting his handsome features.

Locking up a golden boy, radiant like the blazing sun, in a dark, sunless basement—watching the smile and light slowly fade from his face, seeing him turn into a walking corpse, gradually rotting away.

Just the thought made Lu Mingye’s blood boil.

Shen Yanzhi pressed the doorbell again.

The next moment, accompanied by a "click," the tightly locked gate swung open automatically. Shen Yanzhi glanced at the gate, then at the villa in the yard, before pushing the door open and stepping inside.

He just wanted some answers.

The villa door was slightly ajar. He walked in and saw a man standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, dressed in comfortable light gray loungewear, his figure tall and slender. The man turned around slowly.

Their eyes met.

Seeing him in person, Shen Yanzhi remained absolutely certain that he did not know this man. Why would someone he had never had any interaction with want to harm him like this?

Lu Mingye: "Have a seat."

Shen Yanzhi walked over and sat on the sofa: "Sorry to barge in like this."

Lu Mingye let out a scornful laugh: "Even now, you’re still so polite."

He sat down opposite Shen Yanzhi, crossing his legs: "What brings you here?"

He observed Shen Yanzhi—he looked more tired than usual. His father’s affair had caused turmoil at home, and his mother, unable to bear it, insisted on a divorce. Recently, he had been busy helping his mother secure more assets and smoothly exit this unhappy marriage. His father had begun pressuring him because the mistress was already pregnant. If the eldest son wasn’t obedient, he could always raise another. So, Shen Yanzhi had been under considerable pressure lately.

That was why Lu Mingye hadn’t expected him to seek him out under these circumstances.

Shen Yanzhi: "Do we know each other?"

Lu Mingye: "Not really."

Shen Yanzhi was even more confused: "Our companies aren’t even in the same industry. We don’t know each other. Why did you ask Gao Yu to target me?"

He was straightforward, even somewhat reckless—another thing Lu Mingye disliked about him. Why did he get to be so pure? This untainted-by-the-world feeling made Lu Mingye want to personally taint him, then discard him for being dirty.

"Do you want to know the reason?"

Shen Yanzhi nodded.

Lu Mingye picked up a cigarette from the coffee table, lit it, and deliberately blew the smoke toward Shen Yanzhi: "You will never know the answer. Never."

What a jerk.

——

Shen Yanzhi didn’t get any answers, but he didn’t realize how lucky he was to walk out of that villa in one piece.

On his way back, he ran into Chen Zui again.

Chen Zui was clearly waiting for him, aggressively blocking his path with an aircraft near his home. Shen Yanzhi was led into Chen Zui’s aircraft. He had an inexplicable feeling about this alpha—though Chen Zui had suddenly contacted him and revealed everything, demanding 500,000 in return…

"Are you and Lu Mingye on bad terms?" As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Perhaps they could cooperate.

Chen Zui: "Do you want to know why Lu Mingye did this to you?"

Shen Yanzhi fell silent for a moment, staring into the alpha’s pitch-black eyes. The feeling of being seen through was uncomfortable.

Chen Zui: "I can help you."

Shen Yanzhi: "What would I have to pay for it?"

Chen Zui glanced at the thought bubble above his head: "He isn’t entirely trustworthy. In fact, he feels even more dangerous than Lu Mingye."

Chen Zui didn’t expect to gain much trust from him either—it was all just a transaction.

Chen Zui didn’t answer his question but instead explained what he wanted Shen Yanzhi to do. The more Shen Yanzhi listened, the more serious his expression became. It was risky—Shen Yanzhi was his mother’s only support now, and he couldn’t afford anything happening to him.

He was about to refuse.

Chen Zui: "I’ll help your mother get a clean divorce from your father."

Shen Yanzhi looked at him with questioning eyes.

Chen Zui: "Violence is the simplest way to solve problems."

Shen Yanzhi grew tense. Even though his father had betrayed his mother and their family…

Chen Zui walked over to Shen Yanzhi: "Don’t worry, it’s just to scare him. So, do you agree to cooperate?"

Shen Yanzhi hesitated. His father had a heart condition—being frightened could easily give him a heart attack.

"Sorry, I can’t cooperate with you."

Chen Zui said regretfully: "Since we can’t reach an agreement amicably, then we’ll have to…"

A swift chop landed on Shen Yanzhi’s neck. His eyes widened in disbelief, his hand lifting but not fully raising before he lost consciousness, his arm dropping limply.

Chen Zui: "Then we’ll have to force the cooperation."

——

Lu Mingye took his suppressant and lay down, wrapping himself tightly in the blanket. It was that time again—his rut was coming, but thankfully the suppressant would help him get through these days relatively calmly.

He turned over, curling his long legs.

The blanket carried only his own scent—creamy, sweet. He didn’t like it.

An alpha with a creamy scent was ridiculous, just like that guy whose scent was roses…

His wandering thoughts drifted to Chen Zui, and he couldn’t help but touch his gland. The bite mark had faded, but this was where an alpha had once injected his scent.

Lu Mingye turned over again. The suppressant seemed to have lost its effect—he was feeling restless.

Just then, his communicator rang, the sound irritating him further. He hung up.

The caller persisted, dialing again.

Annoyed by the constant ringing, Lu Mingye reluctantly answered. Chen Zui’s handsome face appeared on the screen without warning.

"Hey~ baby~"

His greeting was so natural that for a moment, Lu Mingye actually wondered if the two of them were together.

He noticed Chen Zui was by the sea, dark rocks battered by waves under the night sky.

"You met Shen Yanzhi today, and at your home no less. That makes me unhappy."

Chen Zui spoke expressionlessly, his dark hair tousled by the sea breeze, adding a touch of chaotic gloom.

Lu Mingye, already uncomfortable, snapped, "None of your damn business."

Chen Zui chuckled. "Baby, look at this."

The view on the screen changed. Lu Mingye focused, and when he saw what was on the screen, he bolted upright.

An aircraft hovered high in the sky, above a dark and dangerous sea. Dangling upside down from the aircraft, swaying in the sea breeze, was a person—gagged.

It was Shen Yanzhi!

"What are you trying to do?"

He wasn’t afraid of Shen Yanzhi dying, but Shen Yanzhi had to die by his hand, dying ignominiously.

Chen Zui’s voice drifted eerily from off-screen: "Since I can’t bring myself to punish you, I’ll have to punish him instead. Don’t worry—I’ve already made a cut on him and tied a rock to him. Once he drops into the sea, he’ll sink straight down. The blood will attract predators, and they’ll eat him alive."

"Baby, care to join me and enjoy the show?"

——

Madman!

This madman!

Lu Mingye was so furious he wanted to kill. Shen Yanzhi, hanging upside down, was flushed red—whether from blood rushing to his head or some other reason, he was unconscious.

Chen Zui gave Lu Mingye the location: "40 minutes. If you’re not here by then, I’ll have to enjoy the show alone."

"If you call the police, I’ll kill him before I escape."

The call ended.

Lu Mingye slammed his fist against the bed. His body, already in rut, couldn’t handle the rage—his head spun.

He believed Chen Zui was capable of doing exactly what he said.

He had no choice but to head out, checking the map and estimating it would take about 35 minutes to get there—the other party had even timed it perfectly.

Lu Mingye endured the discomfort in his body and injected another dose of potent inhibitors.

Chen Zui yanked Shen Yanzhi back into the aircraft. Hanging upside down for 40 minutes like that would wreck anyone.

About ten minutes later, Shen Yanzhi regained consciousness. His eyes, dazed, darted around before growing agitated as he realized the situation, making frantic, muffled noises as he tried to communicate with Chen Zui.

"Don’t worry."

"I won’t let anything happen to you."

Chen Zui was searching for interstellar tour routes. It was rare to come to such a high-tech world, and he wasn’t sure if he’d get another chance—he might as well experience it.

The money he had earned, plus the 500,000 credits Shen Yanzhi gave him, was enough for a spur-of-the-moment interstellar trip, though he wouldn’t get the premium experience.

Chen Zui: "After I get this done for you, you’ll give me another five million credits."

Tied up and gagged, Shen Yanzhi couldn’t tell if this was a kidnapping or not.

Checking the time, Chen Zui saw it was almost time. He moved Shen Yanzhi to the aircraft exit: "Play along."

As if he didn’t see the panic in Shen Yanzhi’s eyes, he gave him a light, almost casual push on the back.

Shen Yanzhi got to experience bungee jumping firsthand.

Lu Mingye flew out over the deep ocean, and it took him a while to spot Chen Zui’s aircraft and Shen Yanzhi, dangling and swaying.

On the way, he had considered many strategies—like having men hidden nearby and sniping the rope binding Shen Yanzhi—but catching him before he hit the sea would be next to impossible.

They were too far from land. Any aircraft lying in wait would be spotted by Chen Zui.

Once Shen Yanzhi fell into the sea, tied to a rock, combined with the pitch-black night and his deep-sea location, the odds of finding him were vanishingly small. Moreover, his blood would draw in sea predators.

After turning it over in his mind, going along with Chen Zui's plan was the safest bet. After all, there was no telling what this madman might do.

Lu Mingye stopped his aircraft, looking at Shen Yanzhi hanging there like a discarded toy. A thread of excitement wove through his anger and irritation.

Ao Tian: "Huh? Favorability rating has reached 11%."

Chen Zui stood at the cabin door, looking through the glass at Lu Mingye in the aircraft. He waved, signaling him to come over.

Lu Mingye twisted the ring on his index finger, moved his aircraft closer until the hatches sealed together, and stepped into Chen Zui’s aircraft.

"What’s this late-night craziness about?"

"You actually came for him. You care about him that much." Chen Zui’s hand rested on the back of Lu Mingye’s neck, right over the suppressant patch covering his feverish alpha gland.

"It’s enough to make a guy jealous."

Though he said that, Lu Mingye didn’t believe a word of it.

Jealousy?

This was nothing more than a game to him.

He took a step forward, avoiding Chen Zui’s hand. The gland was not a place to be touched casually, especially for an alpha in rut.

"What will it take for you to release him?"

Lu Mingye sat down in a chair with practiced ease, his nostrils flaring. The aircraft was filled with the scent of roses. As an alpha, he should have been repelled by another alpha’s pheromones, but instead, he found himself taking a deep, almost greedy breath, feeling his agitation soothe, replaced by a growing heat spreading through his body.

Chen Zui walked up to him, leaned in close, and tilted his head to the side, baring his neck.

The bite mark Lu Mingye had left on his gland last time was already fading.

Chen Zui: "Mark me."

Lu Mingye couldn’t hide his shock, unable to believe one alpha would say that to another!

Chen Zui wanted him to mark him?

Although an alpha couldn’t truly mark another alpha—at most, they could swamp the other with their pheromones—even that was something alphas would never normally do...

Yet Chen Zui was asking for it voluntarily.

He wasn’t just a madman—he was a deviant.

But this was an opportunity for him. Lu Mingye’s mind raced with thoughts, all his thoughts scrolling through his mind like subtitles, visible to Chen Zui.

Lu Mingye snorted: "I mark you, and you let him go?"

"I have a second condition."

"You—"

"And no third condition."

Chen Zui’s neck was like a catnip toy tempting a kitten. Lu Mingye glanced over several times. An alpha in rut naturally felt the urge to bite, but he hadn’t lost his rationality yet.

"Then what’s your second condition?"

Chen Zui looked at him, his dark eyes brimming with laughter: "Baby, one thing at a time."

Lu Mingye didn’t speak. *Idiot. In a moment, you won't be doing any talking. Did you really think I wanted to know?*

He moved closer, unconsciously running his tongue over his teeth, growing impatient—especially under the beguiling influence of the rose fragrance.

Lu Mingye bit into Chen Zui’s gland, biting down hard, with no tenderness at all.

He easily broke the skin, and the rose scent burst forth, making Lu Mingye's head spin. For a moment, he forgot to release his own pheromones.

It took him a while to regain some clarity. As he continued biting, he released his pheromones, his hands slowly moving up to encircle Chen Zui’s neck. His previously dazed eyes suddenly cleared, holding a calmness edged with excited madness, glancing at the ring on his index finger.

His thumb hovered over the ring. If he pressed it, a lethal laser beam would instantly take Chen Zui’s life.

"Take a guess."

Chen Zui suddenly spoke, startling Lu Mingye. He kept up the act of biting Chen Zui, though at some point, his tongue had started, almost unconsciously, to lick the blood from the bite.

Chen Zui: "Who'll be faster? You killing me, or me hitting the trigger?"

Lu Mingye: *...He's onto me.*

He didn't dare gamble.

There was only one Shen Yanzhi. If he died, that was it.

Chen Zui slowly pulled his hand away; he didn’t resist, nor did he continue the continuous marking.

Alphas aren’t really suited for marking during their rut, because it can become addictive for them. Once that door is opened, they’ll want to keep marking the other person.

Lu Mingye felt agitated and feverish.

He had inhaled the rose-scented pheromones into his body, but it brought him no comfort—only waves of stimulation.

When Chen Zui pinned him against the control panel, his head was spinning wildly.

He watched helplessly as Chen Zui took the ring off his finger—his only means of support was gone.

Chen Zui looked at the man with a glazed, intoxicated gaze, slipped the ring onto his own ring finger, and gave it a kiss.

"Thanks for the gift, babe. I love it."

"Next, let’s talk about why you’ve been going after Shen Yanzhi so persistently."

Chen Zui lifted Lu Mingye, sat down, and settled him onto his lap and into his arms. Even through their clothes, he could feel the heat radiating from Lu Mingye’s body.

So this is what rut feels like.

No wonder he specifically sought him out during this time.

Lu Mingye wanted to push Chen Zui away, but as someone who had both been marked by Chen Zui and had marked Chen Zui before, the rose pheromones were utterly overpowering to him.

"Huh?" For a moment, he didn’t even clearly hear what Chen Zui was saying.

He wanted to bite him again, and he also wanted to be bitten by him.

He wanted to be wrapped in the scent of roses.

Chen Zui’s gaze shifted from his flushed face to the top of his head—the miniature version of him was much bolder, already playing with his mini "little pepper."

During rut, alphas seek out places with the scent of someone they like to build a nest, or the scent of someone who has marked them.

Lu Mingye didn’t need to do any nest-building anymore.

With a sweep of his long arms, Chen Zui tightly embraced Lu Mingye, continuously releasing pheromones—he had already pulled Lu Mingye into his own nest.

A small boat appeared on the console’s display.

Chen Zui pressed the control button.

The ropes binding Shen Yanzhi were released, and he fell onto the air cushion inside the boat. A small robot began untying him.

Chen Zui: "Why have you been going after Shen Yanzhi all along?"

Lu Mingye suddenly bit him fiercely again, as if trying to destroy his gland, revealing the aggressive nature of an alpha in rut.

Only after swallowing the blood, rich with the scent of roses, did he feel satisfied.

"Because he smiled…"

Leaning on Chen Zui’s shoulder, Lu Mingye recalled the first time he saw Shen Yanzhi.

It was when he was six years old. That day, a classmate said he was "a child without a mother," and he was so upset that he skipped school.

It was raining heavily, and he was hiding under the eaves.

A little boy ran out to play, splashing in puddles under the rain, and then his mother appeared. Lu Mingye thought he would be scolded or spanked, but instead, his mother held his hand and joined him in playing.

That little boy laughed so joyfully, so blissfully.

He wanted to destroy that happiness.