Chapter 130: Bandit’s Wife

Chapter 130: The Fortress Mistress

The car remained parked outside Song Yuqing’s building for a long time.

The alphas on the mission were a bit bewildered—why hadn’t that jerk, Pei Huai, gotten out of the car? What was he still doing inside?

Wasn’t he going to follow Song Yuqing upstairs?

Previously, Pei Huai had always followed him up, though he never entered, just stood at the door.

If Pei Huai wasn’t going up, they would have to take turns.

Just as they were about to notify Pei Huai and go up themselves, Pei Huai opened the car door and stepped out, his back looking utterly drained and defeated.

The alphas exchanged glances—their messages had clearly hit home. It must be that Pei Huai’s wife confronted him, with Song Yuqing present, causing Pei Huai’s romantic life to completely unravel.

That was truly… deeply satisfying.

No, it was just too pathetic.

“Brother Pei, your eyes are red. We’ll go up and keep watch for you; you stay downstairs and coordinate everything.”

Pei Huai: “…”

Poaching someone’s partner—damn it, why are there so many trying to poach someone’s partner? Don’t they have jobs?

Pei Huai strode off coldly, but still went upstairs and stood guard outside Song Yuqing’s door. When alone, the bitterness in his heart surged again.

When Song Yuqing returned home, he found Qi Zhengqing, who had just woken up, sitting in front of the computer, working.

Song Yuqing: “You’re awake?”

Qi Zhengqing looked up, meeting Song Yuqing’s gaze. “Yeah, been to Tan Hongzhen’s place?”

Song Yuqing: “Yeah.”

This time, Song Yuqing returned unscathed, indicating things had gone relatively smoothly.

Song Yuqing did a quick check on Qi Zhengqing, and all the data showed that Qi Zhengqing was in good condition.

Just as Song Yuqing was putting away his tools, Qi Zhengqing’s hand landed on the small of Song Yuqing’s back, pulling him into his embrace. Guided by that force, Song Yuqing fell squarely against Qi Zhengqing’s firm, warm chest.

The scent of Qi Zhengqing’s tobacco and oud instantly enveloped him, trying to disperse the chaotic aura he had brought back.

For a moment, Song Yuqing even felt a sense of calm.

Pheromones were about possession, but also about comfort—sometimes even forceful suppression.

An alpha could temporarily relieve an Omega’s heat symptoms or anxiety by biting the Omega’s neck gland and injecting pheromones.

This was a physiological form of comfort, the most direct way an alpha could soothe an Omega.

There was also psychological comfort—familiar scents, familiar places, and familiar people could bring a sense of security to alphas or Omegas.

However, betas existed outside the romantic and sexual dynamics of alphas and Omegas.

They also couldn’t experience the mutual comfort between alpha and Omega pheromones.

From Qi Zhengqing, he could sense a scent—not pheromones, but a perfume crafted to mimic Qi Zhengqing’s pheromone aroma.

Stripped of possessiveness, only comfort remained.

Qi Zhengqing lowered his head, his warm breath brushing past Song Yuqing’s ear. His voice was low, carrying an intimate inquiry, “Feeling down? What happened?”

He hadn’t had time to look into tonight’s banquet yet, but he could sense that Song Yuqing’s mood wasn’t great.

“Being with me, aren’t you uncomfortable? Don’t you feel insecure?”

“Haven’t you ever thought about leaving me?”

Insecurity, jealousy, resentment—would Qi Zhengqing feel these emotions like Pei Huai did?

With that one sentence, Qi Zhengqing understood what had happened—a falling-out with Pei Huai.

Song Yuqing carried the scent of Pei Huai’s pheromones.

The culprit was obvious.

“I’ve never thought about leaving you,” Qi Zhengqing held Song Yuqing tighter. “I feel jealous and resentful, but none of that can make me leave you.”

He would rather go mad with jealousy than stay by Song Yuqing’s side forever.

Perhaps only death could make him leave Song Yuqing.

“Pei Huai doesn’t want to leave you either. It’s not uncommon for someone to love a few people in their short life. His insecurity is his problem.”

If he dwelled on it like that, he might have gone mad long ago.

Song Yuqing slightly tilted his face upward, the light illuminating his cold, stunning features. The elegant curve of his neck traced a fragile arc.

The clear emotions in his eyes remained rational and calm.

“I know, but there’s no need to continue this entanglement.”

Qi Zhengqing felt an ache in his heart again. Even though he knew Song Yuqing disliked unwarranted pity and wanted to comfort him, seeing Song Yuqing in low spirits, showing even a hint of vulnerability, made him unable to suppress his pity.

Knowing that Song Yuqing and Pei Huai had parted ways, he would only have one less alpha to compete with, yet he still didn’t want Song Yuqing to be unhappy.

As an observant alpha, he could clearly perceive that Song Yuqing had developed some feelings for Pei Huai.

He also understood the conflict between them.

Song Yuqing wanted to separate from Pei Huai not because there were no feelings, but precisely because there were.

Pei Huai’s insecurity stemmed from his fear of losing these feelings—sometimes thinking Song Yuqing liked him, but more often than not, tearing himself apart, believing Song Yuqing didn’t love him at all and was only using him.

“Don’t be sad. Take it slow; time will give you the answer.”

Time would give all of them an answer, including whom Song Yuqing loved most.

Song Yuqing: “I’m not sad.”

Qi Zhengqing: “Yeah, you’re not sad.”

Song Yuqing: “…”

The way Qi Zhengqing said it didn’t sound like he believed Song Yuqing wasn’t sad.

If he were to feel upset every time he parted ways with an alpha, he’d be crying every day.

Song Yuqing's face was pale and tense as he emphasized once more, "Look at my eyes."

Qi Zhengqing smirked and said deliberately, "Mm, they're beautiful. Your eyes and eyelashes are both beautiful. Can I touch them?"

With just a few words, Qi Zhengqing completely derailed the conversation.

Song Yuqing: "..."

Song Yuqing leaned in, pinning the alpha down, trapping him between the sofa and himself. His slender figure couldn't completely cover the alpha's much taller frame, yet he easily pinned him down.

Qi Zhengqing's eyes sparkled with amusement. He went limp accordingly, his hands resting lightly on Song Yuqing's waist as he looked up at the beta straddling him.

Song Yuqing's pale face was tinged with a faint blush from the movement and emotion.

Song Yuqing said sternly, "No touching. Look properly."

The eyes are the window to the soul. Qi Zhengqing needed to see he was rational.

Qi Zhengqing should be able to tell.

88: "..."

This is so abstract—if Qi Zhengqing actually understood what Song Yuqing meant, he'd be some kind of genius.

Qi Zhengqing felt like laughing, but he was intimidated by Song Yuqing's gaze and made himself look seriously.

"Baby, I can see myself in your eyes."

He could see his reflection there. At this moment, Song Yuqing's eyes held him, his heart held him.

If just for this moment, Song Yuqing loved him, it was enough.

Song Yuqing paused for a moment, then said coldly, "Be serious."

Qi Zhengqing's voice was laughing, "Mm, you're not sad. You're being very rational. Is that it?"

Song Yuqing nodded primly. "Mm."

88: "..."

How did they sync up their brainwaves?

If he weren't able to read Song Yuqing's mind, he truly wouldn't have guessed that this was what Song Yuqing meant.

Is this why System 88 lost to humans? In the end, he was defeated by a lack of abstraction.

Once he got what he wanted, Song Yuqing prepared to go find Coal Ball. "Where's Coal Ball?"

Qi Zhengqing again thought that Song Yuqing was like a kitten asking for her kitten. The alpha spoke almost without thinking, "Sleeping."

"Keep your voice down. Don't disturb Coal Ball's sleep. Stay here with me, okay?"

Qi Zhengqing held Song Yuqing close. "I'm almost done with work. Wait for me so we can sleep together."

Song Yuqing had just come out of the bedroom when he came face to face with a small black ball rubbing against the wall.

Coal Ball, who should have been asleep: Meow!

Qi Zhengqing also saw Coal Ball and said calmly, "Just woke up."

Song Yuqing: "..."

Coal Ball didn't look like it had just woken up.

88: "Qingqing, the three of us—mother and children—have been set up by Qi Zhengqing."

88: "Qi Zhengqing seems like the type of alpha who would put sleeping pills in the kids' milk, then hold his wife to sleep."

Song Yuqing: "...Your analysis is correct."

"But..." Song Yuqing lifted his cold, long eyelashes. "What do you mean, 'mother and children'?"

88: "You're the mother, Coal Ball is your daughter, and I'm your son."

After explaining, 88 seized the chance to add, "Mom!"

Song Yuqing: "..."

"You're no good either."

Pei Huai stood outside all night.

The sky had just begun to lighten with the faint glow of dawn, the morning dew was cool, and the air still carried the lingering chill of the night.

If he properly apologized to Song Yuqing today and told him he would behave, would Song Yuqing forgive him?

But... this time, he wasn't so sure. Before, Song Yuqing would at most tug on the leash or loosen it, but he had never truly taken the leash off his neck and let him go.

The moment Song Yuqing truly let go, Pei Huai felt as if the sky had collapsed.

Before he could wait for Song Yuqing, he first encountered Qi Zhengqing.

"What are you doing here?" Pei Huai's tone was hostile, the words almost gritted out between his teeth.

Qi Zhengqing paused slightly, his gaze toward Pei Huai calm and scrutinizing.

He casually closed the door behind him with a light push, his movements natural, silently declaring that this was his and Song Yuqing's home.

"Go back. Qingqing doesn't want to see you right now." His tone was almost commanding.

"Whether he wants to see me or not—since when is it your place to say?" Pei Huai's anger surged as he stared fiercely at Qi Zhengqing.

"You know better than anyone—he truly wants to break up with you," Qi Zhengqing said lightly.

The words shattered Pei Huai's mental defenses. His clenched fists loosened and dropped listlessly.

"You don't get to decide. I'll wait for him."

Qi Zhengqing glanced at Pei Huai once more and, before leaving, said coldly, "Don't think with your binary brain. Love and not love aren't simply about closeness and distance."

Some people become stronger because of love; some become prisoners because of love.

Some give freedom because of love; others imprison their loved ones because of love.

Pei Huai still hung his head low. "What do you mean? Are you trying to harm me?"

Anyway, he refused to believe that Qi Zhengqing would help him reconcile with Song Yuqing.

"You're not worth my effort to harm."

He just wanted Song Yuqing to be happy. There was no need for Song Yuqing and Pei Huai to become sworn enemies.

He might die.

But in a future he might never reach, Pei Huai would be able to protect Song Yuqing.

Qi Zhengqing left quietly, not disturbing Song Yuqing's sleep, and even took the opportunity to put Coal Ball—who had been shut outside yesterday—back on the bed.

So Song Yuqing could hold him while sleeping.

When Song Yuqing woke up, awakened by his phone ringing, he was still a bit out of sorts.

Coal Ball was lying heavily in the crook of his arm, and only then did Song Yuqing slowly come to his senses.

"Slow down, what happened?"

Assistant: "I don’t know who it is, I don’t recognize him either. He said he’s here to wreck the place—if 'Teacher Song' doesn’t come, he’ll take us to Westland Continent to mine coal, or send us off to plant potatoes."

"Teacher Song, you absolutely must not come to the lab."

"We can handle mining coal, but you can’t go mine coal."

The assistant was panicking too. There had long been rumors in the research community about coal mining and organ harvesting—rumors that Tan Shu’s "Silver Leaf Pharmaceuticals" could be considered the dark force of the scientific world. Those with some capability who didn’t cooperate would be secretly taken to an unregulated zone at the border of Westland Continent and New Continent.

It’s said they conduct horrifying human experiments on those they capture there.

Scientists become lab rats, and their research results are forcibly taken by those people.

The assistant was a bit frantic. Whoa, for the first time, he kind of hated being so talented. If he were weaker, he wouldn’t have been targeted.

"Teacher Song, I’m just too strong. If I’d known, I would’ve skipped more classes and scored lower on exams. Fate really plays tricks on people!"

The young alpha’s voice was tearful, mixed with ridiculous self-reproach and grievance. Clearly, he was scared out of his mind and starting to babble incoherently.

Song Yuqing rubbed his head. "Hold on, I’m coming over. They wouldn’t dare kidnap you in broad daylight."

"Teacher Song, don’t come! Wuwu, you’re even stronger—if they snatch you, you’ll only end up as the bandit's wife."

Song Yuqing’s hand, holding the phone, froze mid-air. His pale face showed a complex expression.

Bandit's wife?

It seemed he didn’t know his assistant well enough—at the very least, he hadn’t realized his assistant was better suited to be a comedian.

Tan Shu took the assistant’s phone.

"Bandit's wife…" Tan Shu savored the phrase, the curve of his lips deepening, though his eyes remained a bottomless, icy abyss.

Tan Shu pushed the gun barrel downward slightly, forcing Song Yuqing’s assistant into silence, leaving only the faint sound of chattering teeth.

The gun was pointed at the assistant’s head.

With a slight, mild smile curling his lips, he spoke to Song Yuqing on the other end of the call: "Your assistant is right. I do want to take you away to be my bandit's wife."

Author's Note:

Song Qingqing: Bandit den? (No.) Lunatic asylum? (Yes.)