Chapter 62 Still Hate You Today

Chapter 62 Still Hating You Today

On the day Lin Juangui graduated, a heavy rain fell over Yun Gang Star.

The ground still carried a damp freshness as Lin Juangui’s pristine leather shoes stepped on it, leaving faint trails behind.

He never imagined he would have another chance to graduate. These two years of student life were precious to Lin Juangui. He enjoyed a student life free from bullying and exclusion, comfortably maintaining the top spot in every subject.

Graduating early had long been part of Lin Juangui’s plan, and he was the first to submit his thesis.

Now, taking graduation photos with his seniors, Lin Juangui stood at the center holding a bouquet, a faint smile on his face. With academic burdens gone, he would have more time to focus on other matters.

Making Mu Zhang suffer setbacks was a massive undertaking. Even though Mu Zhang had transferred numerous assets to Lin Juangui to please him, it was nothing more than a drop in the ocean for someone of Mu Zhang’s stature.

Lin Juangui had visited Mu Zhang’s arms factories with him. The facilities on Sai Ling Star alone accounted for over half of the Federation’s military supplies.

In the past, Lin Juangui had mostly stayed at Luo Chen Manor and rarely ventured to the other side of Sai Ling Star. It was only after touring the entire planet that he realized two-thirds of Sai Ling Star was dedicated to manufacturing various types of weapons.

This was the foundation of Mu Zhang’s audacity.

At Mu Zhang’s level of status and power, there was nothing he couldn’t obtain—except Lin Juangui, who remained just out of reach, a persistent desire he couldn’t satisfy.

The day Mu Zhang took Lin Juangui to tour the facilities, he held Lin Juangui’s hand the entire time, perhaps wanting to show him that no matter how great Lin Juangui’s ambitions were, Mu Zhang could fulfill them. Whatever Lin Juangui wanted, Mu Zhang could acquire and give to him.

So, if Lin Juangui were smart, he should realize whose side he should stay on. No one else could be more accommodating to Lin Juangui than Mu Zhang.

But what occupied Lin Juangui’s thoughts was whether three years would be enough to ruin Mu Zhang.

Lin Juangui’s ventures now spanned the entire Federation. To Mu Zhang, this broad investment approach might seem like child’s play, far less secure than his own military-industrial business. But Lin Juangui’s goal wasn’t to compete with Mu Zhang in terms of assets.

Over the years, Lin Juangui’s charity work had built him a positive public image, and building connections wasn’t difficult. The charitable suggestions he offered to Zhuang Xi had been widely praised.

The charity association had numerous projects. They allocated some funds to popular bloggers for promotion, and these charitable activities became video or livestream content for them. Many people on the Starnet followed these updates, and some even became trending channels.

Lin Juangui’s proposal was a good start. Gradually, more people wanted to join this arena, but Lin Juangui was strict about screening. Charity wasn’t something just anyone could do—who knew if these people had hidden agendas?

Human nature was always the most unpredictable. Lin Juangui didn’t dare test it lightly. It was already hard enough to handle his own matters, and helping others was only within his means. Lin Juangui never saw himself as a savior.

Because Lin Juangui’s reputation was now among the top in the Federation, news of his graduation also made it to the Starnet’s hot topics.

On his way out of the school, many people greeted Lin Juangui. He nodded in acknowledgment, a constant smile on his face that was impeccable.

Though Lin Juangui was young, his abilities and kindness were undeniable. Those who had interacted with him praised him, saying he was helpful and patient when answering questions from classmates.

Who would have thought that the isolated, withdrawn child from years ago would turn out like this? Time truly changes a person.

With these thoughts in mind, Lin Juangui got into Mu Zhang’s car.

Seeing Lin Juangui’s graduation cap, Mu Zhang found it novel and played with the tassel with his finger.

Lin Juangui took off the cap and tossed it into Mu Zhang’s hands. Mu Zhang cheerfully put it on himself. "I never got to attend my graduation ceremony when I left the Federation’s central star back then."

"That’s unfortunate."

Mu Zhang then carefully placed the graduation cap back on Lin Juangui’s head and took a photo of him. "But you’ve made up for my regret. From now on, everyone will know my partner is a high-achieving graduate."

The two were heading to the senior home to have a meal with Geng Xuelan, a celebration for Lin Juangui’s graduation.

Geng Xuelan had prepared the ingredients, waiting for Mu Zhang to start cooking.

Mu Zhang had learned Lin Juangui’s preferences from the details of daily life. He even specially ordered someone to bring several boxes of lobster from a star system dedicated to fish farming—Lin Juangui loved foods that had a rich texture but were not too oily.

Seeing how Lin Juangui’s features had become more open and bright compared to two years ago, Geng Xuelan couldn’t help but remark, "Juangui is still beautiful. Mu Zhang hasn’t been mistreating you, has he? If he bothers you, feel free to hit him a few times. Alphas are thick-skinned anyway, they can take it."

Omegas were highly sought-after resources. The more beautiful an Omega was, the more temptations they faced. With more Alphas than Omegas, some Omegas might even remove their marks and remarry someone else if they found a more desirable Alpha. That’s why Geng Xuelan was concerned.

Lin Juangui couldn’t help but laugh. "Mu Zhang treats me well, don’t worry. Our relationship is very stable."

Stable at a failing grade—Lin Juangui would never raise his score in this lifetime.

In the kitchen, Mu Zhang’s hand paused slightly as he chopped vegetables. Every time he heard Lin Juangui say their relationship was stable, he felt a sense of unreality.

Since Mu Yuanqing started helping Lin Juangui during his heat cycles, Mu Zhang began having dreams. In these dreams, he sat in a wheelchair, unable to move or speak, could only watch Lin Juangui silently.

Lin Juangui would gently wipe his face after waking up each day, then slap him and say with a smile, "Still hating you today. What to do?"

Mu Zhang didn’t know what to do; he only felt sad.

In the dream, Lin Juangui was a prominent business figure. He often took Mu Zhang to various events, and everyone praised him for never abandoning Mu Zhang and for their apparent affection. But Mu Zhang could only listen helplessly at night, after the servants were dismissed, as Lin Juangui was intimate with another man.

Mu Zhang didn’t know who the man with Lin Juangui was. He only knew Lin Juangui’s voice was sweet and cloying, enough to make one’s heart race—a sound he had never heard before.

Other men could make Lin Juangui laugh heartily, but Mu Zhang couldn’t.

His wheelchair faced away from the room door. Lin Juangui never let Mu Zhang see who the man he was having affairs with was. Only after everything was over would Lin Juangui walk up to Mu Zhang, lightly light a cigarette, straddle Mu Zhang’s emaciated legs, and tease, "Lately, I’ve been having relapses. I want it more and more often. You must be tired of this game too—it’s pretty dull."

Lin Juangui glanced down at Mu Zhang’s crotch and couldn’t hold back a mocking chuckle. "They say men remain boys till they die. Even like this, you can still react. Still got it, huh."

Lin Juangui’s shoulders still bore finger marks, faintly obscured by his hair. For a moment, his expression turned somber, as if he found everything utterly boring.

Mu Zhang’s breathing grew heavy. Lin Juangui stretched, feeling sleepy. He got up, stuffed the cigarette into Mu Zhang’s mouth, and left.

Mu Zhang used to love smoking, but now he detested the smell. More than that, he was out of practice after so long, so he coughed uncontrollably after taking a puff.

The cigarette fell onto Mu Zhang’s pants, burning a small hole. The skin beneath grew scalding hot, but Mu Zhang couldn’t remove the cigarette and had to endure the pain.

When he woke up, Mu Zhang lingered on the dream. His mind was filled with Lin Juangui’s perfect, superior figure and his own powerlessness.

Was this dream a wet dream or a psychological shadow left by Lin Juangui? Mu Zhang didn’t know. He couldn’t tell his psychologist everything—some dreams were meant to be processed alone.

But the Lin Juangui in the dream grew increasingly excessive, pouring years of accumulated hatred onto Mu Zhang, showing him the marks on his waist and legs.

This wasn’t physical abuse but mental torture. Strangely, Mu Zhang derived a sliver of pleasure from it.

Come on, the more Lin Juangui hated him, the more it meant he couldn’t leave him. Mu Zhang was willing to become Lin Juangui’s toy. It was good that Lin Juangui was willing to direct his hatred at him.

Until Lin Juangui truly grew bored. He stopped sharing any personal details with Mu Zhang, leaving the servants to care for him while he traveled everywhere with his companions.

In the dream, Mu Zhang completely lost his will to live, dying on a blazing summer day.

Haunted by the dream, Mu Zhang took a deep breath and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

He couldn’t let Lin Juangui use him and then discard him ruthlessly. Lin Juangui didn’t like Mu Zhang—just from their scents alone, he would never accept Mu Zhang.

Even if Lin Juangui didn’t have someone he liked now, what about the future? Who could guarantee that Lin Juangui, who could have anything, wouldn’t run off with another man like in the dream?!

Mu Zhang couldn’t do nothing. He had to devise a perfect plan to keep Lin Juangui by his side.

Mu Zhang couldn't understand where this determination came from, but he had already lost his rationality when it came to matters related to Lin Juangui. He couldn't tolerate the slightest failure.

While Mu Zhang was still cooking in the kitchen, Lin Juangui and Geng Xuelan had already went to the balcony to talk in private.

"Grandma, I'm a bit worried about Mu Zhang. He said he wants to undergo the surgery to change his pheromone scent. I think he doesn't value himself enough. I’ve learned a lot about it recently—this kind of surgery carries high risks with little reward. Mu Zhang is such a powerful Alpha; I don’t want him to become useless in the future. Could you please try to talk him out of it?"

Geng Xuelan was clearly stunned.

Back when Mu Zhang first differentiated, he already knew his pheromones wouldn’t be well-liked, but he was particularly indifferent at the time, even thinking his scent was impressive.

"As soon as I release my pheromones, everyone gets distracted, and then I defeat them one by one. Isn’t that just my destiny to lead on the battlefield?"

Indeed, as Mu Zhang had said, his pheromones were highly effective on the battlefield. That pungent asphalt smell made anyone who caught a whiff dizzy—except for the rare few who actually liked the scent of asphalt, almost no one could stand it.

But how was he supposed to find an Omega like this? Mu Zhang’s elders had worried about this for a long time.

It wasn’t until after the family upheaval, when Mu Zhang left home, that he ended up with a young and beautiful Omega in his thirties. Geng Xuelan found it unbelievable and was also worried that Lin Juangui would look down on Mu Zhang.

Fortunately, they had been married for two years now, their relationship was stable, and Lin Juangui had recently graduated successfully. All that was left was to have a cute, beautiful little baby.

How Lin Juangui had endured Mu Zhang’s pheromones and made it work with him until now was something Geng Xuelan was curious about but never asked too much about. She could see Mu Zhang’s deepening feelings for Lin Juangui and knew that Lin Juangui had done a lot for Mu Zhang.

But now, Lin Juangui asking Geng Xuelan to persuade Mu Zhang not to undergo the pheromone-altering surgery made Geng Xuelan sense something was off.

Geng Xuelan smiled and said to Lin Juangui, "Alphas always have to settle down eventually. He can’t spend his whole life running around on the battlefield. If it benefits family harmony, then getting the surgery is fine. It’s no big deal."

Lin Juangui hadn’t expected Geng Xuelan to take this stance. He felt somewhat speechless internally but maintained a concerned front for Mu Zhang’s sake: "But Mu Zhang isn’t like ordinary Alphas. He’s made many enemies after all his time out there. If his pheromones weaken because of the surgery and he can’t protect himself, what good would it do even if I like him?"

To put it bluntly, Lin Juangui just didn’t want to take responsibility. Mu Zhang’s act of "loving him so much he’d change his pheromones" seemed too low-intellect to Lin Juangui—he could hardly stand to watch—so he hoped Geng Xuelan would dissuade him a bit.

However, Geng Xuelan didn’t care about any of that; she just wanted to hold a great-grandchild as soon as possible.

Still, after hearing Lin Juangui’s words, Geng Xuelan pondered for a moment and thought his reasoning made sense.

Mu Zhang hadn’t fully settled down yet. To many, he was still a fugitive, and countless people wanted to replace him. The dangers around him were numerous, and if his fighting ability declined, he would surely be exploited.

"Alright, I’ll have a good talk with Mu Zhang about this. But today is about celebrating your graduation—you’ve worked hard these past two years."

Lin Juangui’s eyes lit up with a smile. He held Geng Xuelan’s hand and shook his head. "It wasn't difficult. Thank you for caring about me."

If it weren’t for the access keys Geng Xuelan provided, Lin Juangui might not have been able to establish influence across so many planets and establish companies.

Geng Xuelan’s personal steward was indeed very capable—strong enough that sending him to handle tough situations was always effective.

Lin Juangui hadn’t treated him poorly either; at the very least, his salary was always paid properly.

But Lin Juangui couldn’t let Geng Xuelan know too much about his affairs, so the personal steward mostly handled subsidiary company matters and wasn’t allowed to contact core operations.

Fortunately, Geng Xuelan didn’t pay much attention to these details and rarely asked for specifics. Lin Juangui wondered whether the personal steward was truly sent by Geng Xuelan purely to help him, with no ulterior motives.

But Lin Juangui’s team was already mostly assembled—he wouldn’t allow a potential security risk in. For now, things would stay as they were.

After lunch, Lin Juangui still had to attend his graduation banquet in the evening, so he needed to prepare.

Mu Zhang sent someone to escort Lin Juangui out, while he accompanied Geng Xuelan for a walk.

Geng Xuelan asked Mu Zhang about what Lin Juangui had mentioned. Mu Zhang suppressed a bitter smile and appeared natural in front of Geng Xuelan.

"He’s allergic to asphalt—he can’t tolerate even a trace of my pheromones. Even though he treats me well and I love him deeply, if we don’t resolve the pheromone issue, there will still be friction between us."

Mu Zhang’s shift from initial disdain to now valuing Lin Juangui immensely was within Geng Xuelan’s expectations—after all, no one could resist an Omega like Lin Juangui.

But Lin Juangui’s words made sense. Geng Xuelan said to Mu Zhang, "Juangui does care about you. He’s worried that if you have the surgery and your pheromones weaken, what if someone finds out and challenges you? What if your pheromones can’t handle it?"

Changing pheromone scent was like replacing the gland entirely. This surgery was too dangerous and not worth it. The gland and body could also experience rejection. Could someone as proud as Mu Zhang face the consequences of a failed surgery?

Mu Zhang knew Lin Juangui wasn’t genuinely concerned about him—he just didn’t want Mu Zhang to become dependent on him permanently if the surgery failed.

After enduring so many dreams, Mu Zhang had also realized he couldn’t allow himself to become weaker. Otherwise, if Lin Juangui left with his lover in the future, he wouldn’t even have the ability to chase after them.

Everyone around him was offering him an exit, so Mu Zhang didn’t need to be so stubborn about it.

"I’ll think about it again."

Lin Juangui’s graduation banquet was also partly a charity event. As the host, he established a support group with his graduating seniors, hoping to pass on the academic environment he experienced in high school.

The next day, Huo Zeshen reported for military duty for the first time.

After separating from Lin Juangui, Huo Zeshen wept bitterly, as if he had finally understood.

Since Lin Juangui was willing to create a learning environment for him, Huo Zeshen naturally had to work as hard as he could.

Every day at school was monotonous—endless training and exams, along with the occasional mistreatment from his homeroom teacher.

Although the long-distance running medal had been returned to Huo Zeshen by Lin Juangui, Huo Zeshen never considered handing over his medal to the homeroom teacher.

The homeroom teacher had said to Huo Zeshen more than once, "Student Huo, do you think you could bring that medal back? It would look good displayed in the class honor cabinet, and you’d gain respect too."

Huo Zeshen refused with silence. His stubborn attitude made the homeroom teacher sigh in frustration. When someone mentioned seeing the long-distance running medal while Huo Zeshen was packing his dorm, the homeroom teacher rushed to his room and started searching.

"You already got it back—why won’t you give it to me!"

The homeroom teacher was angry and humiliated. Huo Zeshen took a deep breath, his expression dark. "This medal belongs to me. The class only pushed me to participate because no one else wanted to. When you saw me fall during training, you just sighed—you didn’t bother to help me up or encourage me. What right do you have to take my medal?"

Huo Zeshen snatched the medal back from the homeroom teacher. He had long understood the law of the jungle in this world—it was just that around Lin Juangui, he had to act obedient, not wanting Lin Juangui to see his darker side.

The homeroom teacher stared at his empty hand and the gloomy Huo Zeshen, pointing at him and saying he had nerve.

The next day, the principal came to have a talk with Huo Zeshen.

He said class collective honor was important and hoped Huo Zeshen could understand the homeroom teacher’s good intentions. Huo Zeshen just scoffed coldly and called Mu Yuanqing right in front of the principal.

So what if he called for backup? He couldn't bear to use Lin Juangui, always bearing things himself first, but with Mu Yuanqing, it didn’t matter—just one call was enough to frighten these people thoroughly.

Sure enough, after Huo Zeshen briefly explained the situation, Mu Yuanqing said, "Keep it if you like it. Who cares what others want? So entitled."

The principal and homeroom teacher’s faces turned pale and then red. To save Mu Yuanqing’s call time, Huo Zeshen proactively said, "I want to take the advancement exam early."

Thus, Huo Zeshen completed his military high school education in just over a semester. The homeroom teacher wanted to make trouble for him but couldn’t. On the day he entered the Federal Military Academy, he returned to his dorm to pack, ignoring the envious looks from many.

As the top scorer in the unified exam, Huo Zeshen had gone from having nothing to now accumulating some wealth.

Besides the scholarships funded by charity associations and government departments, donations from various sectors after learning of Huo Zeshen’s high-score admission to the Federal Military Academy were sums he never dared imagine before.

On graduation photo day, many media outlets wanted to interview Huo Zeshen, but he avoided them all.

Huo Zeshen still couldn’t resist sending a message to Lin Juangui, but when he saw the red exclamation mark, his heart ached.

Lin Juangui had blocked him.

He truly didn't want to know anything about Huo Zeshen anymore.

Then let Huo Zeshen just disappear.

The young man clutched the shard of mirror Lin Juangui had given him against his chest, wondering how high he needed to climb to effortlessly see Lin Juangui again.

The atmosphere in university was still quite different from high school; here, Alphas were more reasonable and weren't so keen on using force to solve problems.

Perhaps his record spoke for itself—everyone knew he had only attended high school for a year before gaining admission to the military academy, and whether it was his pheromones or his practical combat scores, he was extraordinary. Even though Huo Zeshen was aloof and rarely engaged with others, people saw him as mysterious.

It wasn't the first time Huo Zeshen thought the world was a strange place, but Lin Juangui had once told him to learn how to use the rules to his advantage and not feel ashamed about it. After all, by the time he understood these principles, others were already well-practiced.

So Huo Zeshen leveraged his unique pheromones and outstanding military abilities, applying for an internship at the Federal Military Department through Mu Yuanqing.

After a series of selections, Huo Zeshen successfully became one of the interns, allowing him to attend classes at the academy while also working at the military department.

To others, it looked like Huo Zeshen was blatantly using connections, but his capabilities were undeniable. Aside from eating and sleeping, he spent almost all his time training and studying, with no free time to speak of. Anyone who saw Huo Zeshen's schedule would find it exhausting.

Huo Zeshen completely vanished from everyone's sight. Aside from his name appearing at the top of every exam ranking each semester, few people had even seen his face.

During holidays, Huo Zeshen would return to the two-person dorm assigned by the school. Most of the time, he was either sleeping or buried in homework, scheduling every minute of his day with precision.

Di Shuo was Huo Zeshen's roommate. He came from a well-off family, wasn't very serious about studying or training, and usually preferred to spend his time playing games with a holographic helmet.

At first, Di Shuo thought Huo Zeshen had an indescribable arrogance, but after learning about his background, he understood why his roommate worked so hard.

What future could a kid with no background or family connections have if he didn’t pull himself up? Di Shuo actually understood Huo Zeshen.

Di Shuo was a bit of a neat freak. He enjoyed having the dorm to himself and never invited other Alphas over.

Huo Zeshen and Di Shuo exchanged fewer than ten sentences a month, but Di Shuo was curious about him and often observed Huo Zeshen.

Di Shuo felt that Huo Zeshen’s hard work wasn’t aimed at achieving a better life, nor was he particularly interested in money or material things.

One day, as Huo Zeshen finished washing up and prepared to leave for the military department, Di Shuo suddenly asked, "Why are you pushing yourself so hard?"

With Huo Zeshen as a case in point, Di Shuo’s lack of effort almost felt like a crime.

Although Di Shuo didn’t care much—he was just that kind of person—he knew that having a goal provided motivation. For now, he hadn’t found his purpose, so slacking off a bit was fine. At least, that’s how he justified it to himself.

But Huo Zeshen just shot him a look and said nothing.

The two bonded during a practical training session.

Since Huo Zeshen had the strongest pheromone level in his grade, it was only natural that he became a target.

After suffering a setback during the entrance exam, Huo Zeshen became cautious about many things, always on guard.

Friction during practical training was inevitable, and it made things difficult for Di Shuo, who was on Huo Zeshen’s team.

Huo Zeshen didn’t mind being targeted himself, but he disliked involving innocent people.

Even though the instructor had emphasized that practical training shouldn’t get out of hand, Huo Zeshen still made the other side suffer a bit.

When the instructor called him and Di Shuo into the office, Huo Zeshen took all the blame without implicating Di Shuo at all.

After reviewing the training footage, the instructor confirmed that the other side had started the trouble. Although Huo Zeshen’s retaliation was a bit harsh, being pushed to the edge meant he had to fight back—otherwise, how would he handle himself on the battlefield someday?

So in the end, the instructor let Huo Zeshen go, only reminding him that while it was okay to retaliate, he shouldn’t go overboard.

As they left the office, Di Shuo patted Huo Zeshen’s arm and exclaimed, "Bro!"

Huo Zeshen showed little reaction but told Di Shuo about how he had been ganged up on when testing for the military academy, resulting in a broken leg that took a long time to heal.

Although he summarized it in just a few sentences, Di Shuo could almost visualize how difficult Huo Zeshen’s early years had been. He sighed with emotion, "You’ve had it really tough all these years."

This incident made Di Shuo see Huo Zeshen as someone cold on the outside but warm-hearted, at least a good guy to have his back.

Since they were roommates, it was only natural to help each other out. Di Shuo didn’t have a spoiled young master attitude, and over most of the semester, he and Huo Zeshen got along quite well. Huo Zeshen didn’t indulge him, and he didn’t need to be indulged. Sometimes he’d even playfully tease Huo Zeshen, making campus life quite enjoyable.

Still, Huo Zeshen’s top-tier performance in every subject gave Di Shuo a bit of pressure. As the roommate of an outstanding student representative, Di Shuo certainly didn’t want to hold Huo Zeshen back.

But Di Shuo’s talent was limited. He only needed to maintain average grades at the military academy since he didn’t plan to go to the battlefield anyway—his family would arrange a logistics job for him, allowing him to live a relaxed life.

Fortunately, Huo Zeshen didn’t look down on Di Shuo. He didn’t care much about Di Shuo’s grades either. For him, as long as Di Shuo maintained boundaries in the dorm, that was respect enough. Huo Zeshen was fairly satisfied with this roommate.

In the eyes of other students and teachers, however, Di Shuo was considered the person closest to Huo Zeshen.

Di Shuo certainly thought so himself. After all, Huo Zeshen was his bro. Sometimes, aside from Huo Zeshen’s academic life, he also wanted to check in on his roommate’s emotional well-being.

But Huo Zeshen kept to himself, untouchable like a gust of wind, hard to figure out.

Di Shuo’s investigative skills were no joke, though. He still found some clues—like how Huo Zeshen was always browsing news about Lin Juangui on the star network.

Di Shuo cheekily went up to Huo Zeshen and asked, "Wow, so you’re into this kind of Omega, huh?"

Huo Zeshen calmly closed the webpage and turned to look at Di Shuo. "Does paying attention to someone mean you like them?"

Di Shuo nodded. "Doesn’t it? I’ve heard of this person. He’s done a lot of charity work and is the Omega of that interstellar rogue Mu Zhang. Quite impressive, and good-looking too."

Huo Zeshen gave a faint "mm" sound. "He was my sponsor."

"Oh?" Di Shuo suddenly understood.

Huo Zeshen added, "But his Alpha told him to avoid me. We cut off contact completely."