Chapter 97 Human Massage

Chapter 97: Human-Shaped Massage

Rong Rui worried that Huo Zeshen might do something to Lin Juangui—leaving two people alone together, especially a man and an omega, always felt unsettling.

Granted, Lin Juangui’s combat capability was undeniable; he was no fragile, easily manipulated omega. Yet Huo Zeshen’s reputation preceded him—he was widely regarded as the most formidable alpha among the younger generation. If Lin Juangui’s pheromones failed to soothe him and instead triggered Huo Zeshen’s rut, Rong Rui’s entire ship might not survive.

So after waiting outside for nearly ten minutes, Rong Rui knocked on the door and called in, “How is General Huo? If things aren’t going well, I’ll call another doctor.”

The door opened from within. Lin Juangui sat in a chair, staring at the now-dull storage core. Huo Zeshen stood facing Rong Rui directly.

“Thank you, Senior Rong, for your invaluable assistance. The storage core has been successfully accessed. I’ll now prepare for our return journey.”

“Huh?” Rong Rui had just moments earlier enlisted technicians to help crack the core—yet its classified files had already been retrieved?

Huo Zeshen gave Rong Rui a slight nod and strode past him without another word.

The analysis room still held traces of Lin Juangui’s pheromone scent. Rong Rui inhaled deeply, savoring it, then sat down beside the omega with a relaxed, pleased expression. “It’s open—was it useful?”

Lin Juangui hummed softly in acknowledgment, pulling a pheromone-blocking patch from his pocket to apply it. “Thanks for your help this time.”

Suddenly, Rong Rui caught Lin Juangui’s hand. “Give me a little more pheromone—I don’t get to see you often.”

Lin Juangui studied him for a moment, then smiled gently. “I hadn’t considered your needs—I apologize.”

They sat quietly, face-to-face. Rong Rui’s expression softened, almost tender, like someone gazing fondly at a child. “You lost your memory after that accident, didn’t you?”

Otherwise, Lin Juangui wouldn’t have offered such flimsy excuses when mentioning Bada—just to coax Rong Rui into revealing everything he knew.

At the time, Huo Zeshen had been present, so there’d been no need for Rong Rui to overreact. Since Lin Juangui trusted Huo Zeshen, recounting those now-irrelevant stories posed no harm.

But now, finally alone with Lin Juangui, Rong Rui needed answers.

Lin Juangui’s amnesia had never been made public. Mu Zhang had sealed the information tightly; only a handful of people knew.

Rong Rui had his own intelligence network. He’d heard about Lin Juangui’s horrific accident—and that Mu Zhang had already executed the perpetrator. Feeling powerless to help further, all Rong Rui could do was follow Lin Juangui’s instructions.

Later, Lin Juangui vanished for a long time. Had it not been for the pheromone-infused pillow delivered as a subtle reminder, Rong Rui would’ve assumed Lin Juangui had completely forgotten him.

Now, seeing Lin Juangui in person, Rong Rui was certain: Lin Juangui truly didn’t remember him.

Denying a secret someone already knew would only invite ridicule. Lin Juangui didn’t deny it—only said, “Accidents always happen suddenly.”

Rong Rui chuckled lightly. “If I’m not mistaken, Mu Zhang must have treated you exceptionally well after your memory loss—that was an opportunity he’d waited ages for.”

Though Mu Zhang had behaved abysmally toward Lin Juangui during their joint mission to Bada—a fact Rong Rui had witnessed firsthand—later, Mu Zhang publicly hosted Lin Juangui’s birthday gala and scoured the entire universe for rare, fascinating treasures to present before him, hoping to win his favor.

Yet Lin Juangui cared nothing for such material trappings—not even glancing twice. His distance from Mu Zhang was embedded in arrangements he never disclosed to Mu Zhang. Rong Rui saw it all clearly—yet the “accident” had occurred precisely at that turning point.

Lin Juangui noticed many people he’d once known kept bringing up how Mu Zhang’s attitude toward him had changed—and how deeply Mu Zhang regretted his past actions.

But Lin Juangui genuinely didn’t care.

Right and wrong were rarely black-and-white; as long as outcomes remained unaffected, he had no interest in dwelling on minutiae.

Still, others *wanted* him to dwell on them—meaning they stood to gain from the growing rift between Lin Juangui and Mu Zhang.

Lin Juangui understood this perfectly—so he neither contradicted Rong Rui nor praised Mu Zhang’s kindness. Instead, he nodded calmly. “We’ve been married for many years. Legally speaking, he remains my husband, doesn’t he?”

Rong Rui didn’t dispute it—but offered an alternative: “Federal marriage law also stipulates that if one spouse is convicted of a crime, the other may file for divorce unconditionally.”

Lin Juangui rubbed his chin thoughtfully. At last, he understood what his former self had been scheming all along.

Seeing Lin Juangui so composed, Rong Rui gently patted his shoulder. “I’ll admit—I once dreamed of claiming you for myself. But you made your position crystal clear, and I let go. Still, I sincerely hope you find a partner better than Mu Zhang.”

“Thank you. I… can offer you nothing more than pheromones and money.”

Rong Rui shrugged, seemingly unfazed. “Does that mean we have no friendship left?”

Lin Juangui’s smile relaxed instantly. “Of course we do.”

Outside the door, Huo Zeshen had overheard their conversation. He’d returned to retrieve the now-dimmed storage core—but hadn’t expected Lin Juangui to be chatting with Rong Rui.

Unsurprisingly, Rong Rui, too, had once desired to become Lin Juangui’s devoted admirer—only to be rejected.

They’d likely exploited Lin Juangui’s pheromones as bargaining chips in various deals, with Rong Rui’s price being service to Lin Juangui.

Huo Zeshen thought of himself and Lin Juangui.

Lin Juangui must treat him differently from others—at least he wouldn’t feign affection or shower him with empty flattery.

Huo Zeshen stepped directly into the analysis room, timing his entrance as if arriving precisely then. He asked Lin Juangui, “May I take the storage core?”

Lin Juangui had sensed someone lingering outside—but hadn’t expected Huo Zeshen. “Does it still serve any purpose for you?”

Huo Zeshen nodded, offering no further explanation.

Lin Juangui gestured casually toward the core, indicating Huo Zeshen could take it himself. Just then, his comm device chimed—Mu Zhang was calling.

“Are you alright?” Mu Zhang knew Lin Juangui’s whereabouts perfectly well—he knew exactly who Lin Juangui had gone to Yulan Star with.

Lin Juangui’s voice was soft, his expression still faintly smiling. “Mm. Preparing to head home.”

Mu Zhang sounded hoarse, laced with unmistakable exhaustion. Lin Juangui asked, “Have you been overwhelmed lately? Not resting properly?”

“No,” Mu Zhang chuckled twice on the other end, clearly warmed by the concern. “Just haven’t seen you in a long time—I miss you.”

“I miss you too.”

“Come back for a few days once things wrap up on Yulan Star—I need you.”

Lin Juangui mentally calculated the timeline—it aligned closely with Mu Zhang’s upcoming rut phase. His comfortable days on Yun Gang Star were finally over.

“Has the situation stabilized there?” Lin Juangui meant the Federal Ministry’s political climate.

Mu Zhang paused briefly, as if unwilling to discuss it over the comm. Lin Juangui didn’t press further—only promised he’d return as soon as possible.

Turning back, Lin Juangui found both Huo Zeshen and Rong Rui watching him intently. He asked Rong Rui, “When do we depart?”

“Immediately.”

Huo Zeshen held the dimmed storage core, a strange, bitter sensation stirring within him.

They’d all recounted Mu Zhang’s past deeds to Lin Juangui—but Lin Juangui had lost his memory. To him, those agonies were merely fleeting, lightly sketched anecdotes. Now, his relationship with Mu Zhang was stable—even having Huo Zeshen as a lover wouldn’t budge Mu Zhang’s position in the slightest.

He should accept reality already—shouldn’t he?

Obsession wasn’t a flattering term—but Huo Zeshen had no intention of giving up so easily.

"If you're going back to the Federal Central Star, I'll give you a ride." Huo Zeshen still hoped Lin Juangui would come with him.

He had invited him when they first came to Youlan Star, and just now, Huo Zeshen had asked again if Lin Juangui wanted him to escort him back to Yungang Star. Once more, Lin Juangui turned him down.

If Lin Juangui shook his head again, he feared he might hurt the puppy's feelings. As much as he hated to, Lin Juangui knew he shouldn't return to the Federal Central Star with Huo Zeshen. Instead, he turned to Rong Rui and said, "I don't have anything else planned. I'll just go back with him first."

"Alright."

Since Lin Juangui had made up his mind, Rong Rui couldn't very well stop him. Huo Zeshen shot Rong Rui a quick look before turning to leave side by side with Lin Juangui.

Rong Rui seemed to let out a sigh. This kid was too young and hot-headed. Trying to outmaneuver Mu Zhang would be incredibly difficult...

On the way to the warship, the smell of blood hung in the air around Lin Juangui. He didn't particularly like the scent, but his tolerance was high, so he didn't let it show.

"Boom—"

A loud explosion went off, and Lin Juangui instinctively looked toward the source.

Outside the porthole, a blinding mushroom cloud bloomed from the previously desolate and lifeless Youlan Star. Huo Zeshen quickly reached out to cover Lin Juangui's eyes. His face was illuminated by the flash. Moments later, his adjutant sent a message: Youlan Star had self-detonated.

"Got it."

Even though Huo Zeshen had shielded Lin Juangui's eyes promptly, the intense light still hurt them a bit. Lin Juangui took off his glasses and rubbed his brow, quickly figuring out what had happened. "Was the lab's defense system triggered?"

"There was an insectoid-form mech there with high destructive power." Huo Zeshen led Lin Juangui to the lounge inside his office, had him sit down, and then crouched to examine his eyes.

Lin Juangui wasn't actually sensitive to light, but the sudden flash, magnified by his lenses, had irritated his eyes, making them slightly red.

Huo Zeshen stood up, took a bottle of eye drops from the bedside table, and told Lin Juangui to tilt his head back.

Lin Juangui half-squinted. Huo Zeshen gently placed his fingers on Lin Juangui's eyelids and quickly put two drops into each eye.

"See if that helps. If you're still uncomfortable, I'll call the military doctor." Huo Zeshen frowned slightly, his tone serious yet carrying a trace of worry.

His eyelashes were damp from the eye drops. Lin Juangui blinked gently, and the discomfort soon faded.

Huo Zeshen seemed accustomed to such explosions. He hadn't even flinched when it occurred and had even looked directly at it.

"Do you always go through things like this?" Lin Juangui suddenly asked, and Huo Zeshen immediately understood what he meant.

Was this concern for him? The corner of Huo Zeshen's mouth quirked up almost imperceptibly. He set the eye drops aside and gently took Lin Juangui's hand. "For people like me, getting anything means risking your neck. As long as there's a way to handle these minor issues, it's nothing major."

Sometimes, Lin Juangui felt everything he experienced was surreal.

He and Huo Zeshen were not only caught in mutual cycles but had even formed a closed loop.

Whether in terms of family background or life experiences, they were living the same pattern of life in different ways.

For the world's protagonists favored by fate, what they sought was transcendence. But for those like Lin Juangui and Huo Zeshen, who had tough starts, their life paths were spent searching for liberation.

How could Lin Juangui not understand Huo Zeshen? Precisely because he understood, he felt all the more compassion for him.

"If possible, I hope you'll take better care of yourself. I... want you to get injured less often."

Back on Yungang Star, Lin Juangui had noticed many scars on Huo Zeshen that he'd never seen before. He knew every line of Huo Zeshen's muscles and often touched them, yet these scars all declared one fact: Huo Zeshen in this world was merely the second male lead, lacking the protagonist's halo, and might die in some future battle.

He was supposed to be a stepping stone in the love story between Mu Zhang and Mu Yuanqing, but now he had become Lin Juangui's lover.

Fate had been particularly unfair to him. Chosen as an experimental subject in childhood, he later became a pawn in power struggles. Just as he said himself, to climb to a high position, he had no choice but to fight desperately.

Lin Juangui could see his surroundings clearly again. Only then did he realize he was sitting on Huo Zeshen's bed, with Huo Zeshen staring intently at him.

The next moment, Huo Zeshen leaned in and kissed him. His movement was gentle, just a simple touch, his tone tinged with melancholy. "Will I always have to go to Yungang Star from now on?"

"If you want, I can also come to your place."

Yungang Star was just a temporary stop for Lin Juangui. He had accomplished what he needed to do there. With the situation on the Federal Central Star now stable, he had to return to prepare for the next phase of his plans.

Huo Zeshen greatly admired Lin Juangui's straightforwardness and open-mindedness—qualities he felt he could never learn.

Although Huo Zeshen tried his best to be honest and avoid using the false personas he showed others when interacting with Lin Juangui, he always harbored many things in his heart that he couldn't share. Huo Zeshen sincerely felt inferior because of this.

"What's wrong?" Lin Juangui reached out and gently ruffled Huo Zeshen's hair. In this gesture, Huo Zeshen sensed a kind of partiality that Lin Juangui never showed to others.

Except for that cat.

Being favored by Lin Juangui must count as a special skill, right? Huo Zeshen seemed to have found a new arena for himself.

Huo Zeshen shook his head. He wouldn't make any grand promises to Lin Juangui anymore. He would prove his capabilities through actions. Nor did he want to hide anything from Lin Juangui, so he said, "Just now, I was thinking... it would be nice if I could be some kind of pet you keep."

A long time ago, Huo Zeshen had said something similar. Lin Juangui found it unbelievable and thought it was a joke. But now it seemed Huo Zeshen felt even a cat received better treatment than him, so he was jealous?

Lin Juangui simply didn't know what to say to him. After all, Huo Zeshen in this world wasn't that mature and was deeply lacking in a sense of security.

Lin Juangui could only proactively reach out and hug him. "Didn't I say before that if you're good, there's a reward? Whatever you want to do, or whatever you want me to do with you, remember to say it directly. Otherwise, I won't be able to guess anything, understand?"

This was telling Huo Zeshen to speak his mind openly and not bottle things up until he made himself sick.

"...Mm, I will."

Lin Juangui was successfully escorted back to the Federal Central Star by Huo Zeshen. Ge Miao came to pick him up. When he saw Huo Zeshen, his lips pressed together subtly, but he didn't say much, simply inviting Lin Juangui into the car.

Lin Juangui was initially handling some trivial official matters. When he looked up again, he noticed the car wasn't taking the route home.

"Where are we going?" Lin Juangui appeared emotionless, not showing much curiosity about the car's destination.

Ge Miao didn't dare hide it. "The hospital."

Only then did Lin Juangui look up. "Is Mu Zhang sick? To the point of needing hospitalization?"

"Sir will explain it to you himself."

Ge Miao couldn't bring himself to state the specific reason and didn't know if Lin Juangui would get angry once he found out what they were going to do.

Lin Juangui finally felt a flicker of interest. When Ge Miao was being this tight-lipped, the thing he didn't dare mention...

Could only be related to Mu Yuanqing, who was still unconscious in the military hospital.

"Sir's physical examination report has been sent to your terminal." Actually, Ge Miao had sent Mu Zhang's report to Lin Juangui two days ago, but it had shown as unread. That's why he reminded him now.

Lin Juangui gave an "Mm" to acknowledge he knew, then opened the report Ge Miao sent and began reading it carefully.

Mu Zhang's health was actually quite good, at least ranking high among his peers. But he still had quite a few minor issues; at the very least, he hadn't escaped the stomach problems that seemed mandatory for protagonists.

Lin Juangui suddenly touched his own stomach.

It seemed he had also met Huo Zeshen because of stomach problems.

Seeing Lin Juangui's action, Ge Miao thought he was worried about Mu Zhang and proactively explained, "Sir's condition will recover as long as he rests properly and undergoes a period of careful recuperation. There were too many matters in the Political Department recently, but they're mostly handled now."

Lin Juangui didn't say anything, clearly preoccupied with other matters.

The car stopped at the hospital's back entrance. Lin Juangui was led by Ge Miao to an ICU on a high floor. Mu Zhang was gazing intently at the unconscious Alpha by the bedside. From outside the window, Lin Juangui saw the look in Mu Zhang's eyes as he watched Mu Yuanqing, thinking to himself that this pair truly deserved to be the official couple—even in middle age, they were still hung up on each other.

Mu Zhang caught sight of Lin Juangui's figure, and a wave of guilt washed over him. As if worried Lin Juangui might read too much into it, he quickly stepped out of the room.

Having not seen each other for so long, an inexplicable distance had somehow grown between them. Lin Juangui took the initiative to tidy Mu Zhang's hair and asked if he hadn't been sleeping well. "Why do you look so haggard?"

Lin Juangui's face showed concern, but he still comforted Mu Zhang, saying, "I've seen your medical report. There aren't any major issues. Take some time off to rest properly. I'll stay with you."

Lin Juangui's thoughtfulness and understanding were something Mu Zhang had never even dreamed of. He felt overwhelmed by such kindness, but the thought of what he was about to ask Lin Juangui to do next filled him with remorse.

"Juangui, could you... release some pheromones for him?" Mu Zhang glanced toward Mu Yuanqing in the room.

If it were possible, Mu Zhang wouldn't have wanted to ask Lin Juangui to do such a thing. He remembered how Lin Juangui had once wept as if his heart was breaking before him, clearly stating that the contract only required releasing pheromones for Mu Zhang to help him through his rut. Yet, in the end, it had turned into Mu Zhang having control over the use of Lin Juangui's pheromones, giving them to whomever he wanted.

It was Mu Zhang who had been presumptuous, breaching the contract first and causing Lin Juangui irreparable harm. But no other Omega's pheromones had any effect on Mu Yuanqing—not even Bai Yue's pheromones could improve Mu Yuanqing's condition in the slightest. Mu Zhang could only think of Lin Juangui.

That was why Mu Zhang never questioned who Lin Juangui was with or what he was doing on Yungang Star, and why he pretended not to care about who Lin Juangui went to Youlan Star with or what he obtained there.

All that willful ignorance was for this moment—so that Lin Juangui would agree to Mu Zhang's request.

Perhaps Mu Zhang himself hadn't realized it, but whenever he interacted with Lin Juangui, he subconsciously turned everything into a bargaining chip. He didn't want Lin Juangui to refuse him, so he preemptively claimed the moral high ground.

Lin Juangui seemed unaware of Mu Zhang's little schemes. He even feigned concern and asked Mu Zhang, "How are General Mu's injuries? Is releasing pheromones all I need to do?"

"Yes, just try to stay in a pleasant mood."

"I understand."

Just as Huo Zeshen needed his pheromones to restore his mental energy, Lin Juangui's pheromones were the best source of energy.

But the thing was, Lin Juangui didn't want Mu Yuanqing to leave this room. He even wished Mu Yuanqing would never wake up.

That might sound pretty vicious, but Mu Yuanqing's greatest value at the moment was precisely that he was unconscious. So many people outside wanted him dead; as long as he remained asleep, he could stay in the hospital under protection from all sides. Once he woke up, even more would want him dead, and if anything unexpected happened then, many things would spiral out of control. The Mu family could once again use public opinion to boost their own image.

Ever since Mu Yuanqing took responsibility for the lab insect disaster in front of the entire Federation, the Mu family's political standing had plummeted, and the marriage alliance between the Bai and Mu families was naturally called off.

Bai Yue had been picking out wedding outfits for his and Mu Yuanqing's ceremony, never expecting Mu Yuanqing to step forward and take the blame.

Logically, after such an incident, they could have just found a trainee researcher to claim it was an operational error, then offered some compensation to keep them quiet. But Mu Yuanqing had to be so honest, insisting on bearing the consequences himself.

Now, not only had the Mu family lost their opportunity, but even their allies, the Bai family, had been implicated to some extent.

Fortunately, Mu Zhang valued their years of friendship. Though they stood on opposite sides of interests, he couldn't stand idly by while Mu Yuanqing suffered. These days, he had been helping find doctors and continuing the investigation into the specific causes of the insect disaster on Puli Star. No one else had done as much for Mu Yuanqing as he had—not even Mu Yuanqing's own family seemed willing to get involved.

Was this the bond between protagonists?

Even though one had been married for many years and the other had even been engaged, they would still go to great lengths to rescue each other when in peril.

Even as friendship, it was remarkable—let alone the fact that the feelings between these two transcended romance.

Lin Juangui sat down on the sofa in the room. Mu Zhang gave Ge Miao some instructions before re-entering the room and approaching Lin Juangui.

The room was filled with the Omega's pheromones. What Mu Zhang smelled was still the faint scent of white fir. He gently took Lin Juangui's hand and glanced at the back of his neck.

There were no bite marks from another Alpha, and his scent was very clean. What Mu Zhang had imagined seemed not to have happened. Logically, he should have breathed a sigh of relief, but the opposite was true. The absence of a scent didn't mean nothing else had been left behind.

Mu Zhang had good eyesight. Even though Lin Juangui's collar concealed the faint reddish marks, Mu Zhang still knew what they were and how they had been made.

So, his Omega had ultimately been... nurtured by someone else, hadn't he?

Mu Zhang took a deep breath. All of this had been tacitly permitted by him. There was really no need to cause friction with Lin Juangui over matters they had already agreed upon, but he still felt a twinge of melancholy.

Who would have thought that the once-unrivaled Mu Zhang would ultimately be defeated by the scent of his own pheromones?

While Mu Zhang was lost in thought, Lin Juangui leaned his head against Mu Zhang's shoulder. Mu Zhang asked if he was tired, and Lin Juangui nodded. "Youlan Star exploded. A lot happened."

"It's alright. Take your time. I'm listening."

Lin Juangui was genuinely tired and didn't feel like explaining too much at the moment, but since Mu Zhang had said that, could he really act coy and keep him in suspense?

So, Lin Juangui briefly recounted what had happened on Youlan Star. Mu Zhang listened intently, as if not wanting to miss a single detail.

"Will he use this evidence against the Liang family?"

Huo Zeshen's trip to Youlan Star was a very clear signal—it showed he hadn't forgotten what had happened to him all those years ago.

How the Liang family would view Huo Zeshen, and whether Huo Zeshen would turn against them because of what he learned on Youlan Star, were all unknowns.

Mu Zhang advised Lin Juangui not to be too optimistic. "Don't you think he's like a dog constantly seeking a new master? I admit he's pitiable in some ways, but for his own sake, he would never openly break with the Liang family. He still needs them."

Lin Juangui frowned. "So, this trip of mine was just paving the way for someone else?"

Mu Zhang chuckled and pinched Lin Juangui's fingers. "He can make your rut less unbearable. Giving him some reward is fine. The current situation is actually quite interesting. He's caught between you and the Liang family—the Liang family suspects he's been won over by your charms, while you just see him as a human-shaped massager..."

Mu Zhang didn't bother hiding his disdain for Huo Zeshen. The only thing that could possibly make Mu Zhang jealous about Huo Zeshen was that his pheromones were compatible with Lin Juangui's.

But as long as Mu Zhang let go of that possessiveness and calmly addressed the issues between him and Lin Juangui, they actually got along quite harmoniously.

Mu Zhang's words made Lin Juangui laugh despite himself. "Thank you for trusting me, Mu Zhang. You make me feel like... no matter what outrageous things I do outside, you'll always have my back."

Lin Juangui had thoroughly pleased Mu Zhang with that remark.

Mu Zhang had worked hard for so many years, largely to be able to use his privileges to protect Lin Juangui's well-being in the future and to ensure Lin Juangui couldn't leave him through the power of his position.

Now that Lin Juangui finally understood his intentions, Mu Zhang felt nothing but relief.

He pulled Lin Juangui into his arms and kissed the top of his head.

They say that in a marriage where one partner is much older than the other, it takes time to adjust. Mu Zhang had thought he would never live to see the day Lin Juangui understood him.

Though the process had been long, it seemed everything was now moving in a positive direction.

But the next moment, Lin Juangui pulled away from his embrace, covering his mouth as he bent over, making a retching motion.

For some reason, Lin Juangui suddenly felt nauseous. He hurried to the bathroom in the room, but nothing came up.

Mu Zhang's eyes turned stormy. He walked unhurriedly to the bathroom, patting Lin Juangui's back gently. Once Lin Juangui felt better, Mu Zhang embraced him and slowly placed a hand on Lin Juangui's stomach. "Could there be... someone else's child here?"