Chapter 63 Losing Control

Chapter 63: Loss of Control

“Mother agreed.”

Jian Fuxu, who was eating breakfast, froze mid-bite. He had expected Qi Yanshen to return defeated—after all, he knew Madam Qi’s character well. First and foremost, she was Commander of the Federal Third Legion; second, she was Uncle Yun’s partner; and third, she was Qi Yanshen and Qi Jinsi’s mother. Those were her priorities—in that exact order.

Jian Fuxu double- and triple-checked that Qi Yanshen wasn’t joking before messaging Uncle Lu to consider the matter—and simultaneously deployed what he termed “acting cute” on his own mother to persuade his father to lend support.

Of course, Jian Fuxu’s version of “acting cute” took the following refreshingly direct form:

“Dearest Mom, my most beloved son: Mom, could you please ask Dad to help me with something?”

“Mom: Sure. It’s not often you sweet-talk me.”

Lu Yan and Qi Yanshen never quite grasped what, precisely, was “cute” about it.

Once this matter was settled, Qi Yanshen asked Jian Fuxu and Lu Yan to go ahead while he waited for Ji Anzhi so they could walk together.

Ji Anzhi had been oversleeping every day lately—sometimes even missing first period entirely. If it were an elective, that might be excusable—but the Star Chart Department frequently held classes during first period, and with only five students enrolled, any teacher would spot an absentee instantly.

So Qi Yanshen waited for him. First, as a gesture of mutual support among classmates; second, to repay Ji Anzhi for accepting the star chart correction task; and third, out of genuine concern—fearing Ji Anzhi might suddenly suffer a health crisis and be rushed to the infirmary. Should the inhibitory components in his body be detected during a routine check-up, Ji Anzhi would have no plausible explanation—and things would quickly spiral into trouble.

Promptly at seven o’clock, Qi Yanshen went upstairs and knocked on the door. Over ten minutes later, Ji Anzhi finally opened it—flustered, disheveled, and carrying Xiaoxue on his back.

As they descended the stairs, Qi Yanshen wondered why Ji Anzhi insisted on bringing Xiaoxue lately—even if it meant being late. Wasn’t it inconvenient?

Yet, recalling that geniuses often operated by their own logic, Qi Yanshen chose not to ask.

They arrived safely at the teaching building, then parted ways to head to their respective classrooms.

Through Ji Anjue, Ji Anzhi learned that Qi Yanshen had secured tangible benefits for him. Though largely intended to facilitate his eventual recruitment, the effort still moved him.

As Qi Yanshen’s mother had once remarked: under the right mix of carrot and stick, people inevitably yield. They could easily have seized full control over the profits from this venture. Even if he later pledged allegiance to the Federation, they could have retained all previously claimed benefits—and tossed him mere crumbs afterward.

After all—who dared oppose the galaxy’s undisputed top power?

He simply wondered how much money he *could* have gotten. Probably billions… such a shame he couldn’t claim it. What a waste.

Ji Anzhi sighed inwardly over the fortune that had slipped through his fingers.

Soon, he shook it off. One needed to be alive to spend money—dead men had no use for it. Let things unfold as they would.

The following month passed uneventfully. Chi Yan completed his research on the medication, which proved effective against the inhibitory components—with only mild side effects. After taking it, Ji Anzhi felt nothing beyond those side effects—but the inhibitory components in his body *were*, indeed, breaking down—albeit at a glacial pace.

During this time, Jian Fuxu’s attitude toward him remained cool and distant. Lu Yan was rarely sober. Qi Yanshen, however, aware of Ji Anzhi’s true identity, followed him closely—out of genuine concern.

In short, life this semester was uneventful after the first month… *like hell it was!*

Ji Anzhi couldn’t fathom why the military academy believed he and Qi Yanshen were dating. Did they look like masochists?

Just past the midpoint of the second semester, Chi Yan began nervously probing him from every angle. At first, Ji Anzhi assumed Chi Yan feared he was being bullied—but once Chi Yan explained the reason, Ji Anzhi checked the main forum.

No way. They were openly declaring that he and Qi Yanshen were dating!

Ji Anzhi immediately visited the forum to see how they’d reached that conclusion—and found, to his dismay, that their reasoning appeared disturbingly solid…

“Has anyone else noticed anything odd going on?”

“1L: Yes, I have.”

“2L Green Sea Ripples: Are you referring to those two damn Chiefs in Year One?”

“3L Without Holes to Pierce: Who else? Chief Qi’s been glued to him lately. I’ve seen them disembark from the same hovercar more than once.”

“4L Ze Yu: Isn’t that jumping to conclusions?”

“5L Oka: Not at all. Before, it was always the four roommates together. Now Chief Qi and Chief Ji walk alone—and Chief Ji has looked disheveled and flushed several times. Who *wouldn’t* suspect something?”

Ji Anzhi: “…………”

Disheveled because he woke up late! Flushed because of the drug’s side effects! Hello? Can’t you see I’m red *all the time*?!

He raged silently—but kept scrolling.

“6L Red Idle Fish: Anyone from Star Chart or Command Departments care to clarify?”

“7L Water Blue Clouds: Star Chart Dept here. It’s not what you think. Chief Ji appears to be on medication—the side effects cause daily redness and feverishness.”

“8L zxcvbnm: Really?”

“9L Kan Kan: Likely. Thinking about it, Chief Ji’s been like this for over a month.”

“10L Molecular Theory: So don’t jump to conclusions. Be careful—or Chief Qi and Chief Ji might sue you for defamation.”

“11L: Sorry, my mind went straight to the gutter!”

“12L Difficult: Sorry, my mind went straight to the gutter! +1”

“13L: Sorry, my mind went straight to the gutter! +2”

“…………”

The rest were just apologies, one after another. Yet many later commenters stubbornly clung to the dating theory—willfully ignoring reality.

Ji Anzhi didn’t even finish half the thread before exiting. He immediately messaged Ji Anjue to ask whether Qi Yanshen knew about the online rumors. Receiving a negative reply, he breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as Qi Yanshen remained unaware, they could both feign ignorance. It was critical *not* to address the rumors publicly now—doing so would only reinforce them. Besides, the rumors didn’t harm him much—and might even prove advantageous.

With this rumor circulating, the Third Legion effectively became his safety net.

So, after learning of it, Ji Anzhi never mentioned it to Qi Yanshen. What would be the point? It would only stir unnecessary drama.

This situation persisted until the beginning of the third month of the semester. That day, Ji Anzhi and Qi Yanshen’s relationship underwent a dramatic shift.

Ji Anzhi returned to the dorm normally that evening. Before even reaching the main entrance, he caught a faint, delicate scent of gardenia. Calculating the date, he realized Qi Yanshen’s cycle was due in roughly a week—so minor pheromone leakage was perfectly normal. Ji Anzhi thought little of it.

But the moment he stepped inside, the abnormally intense concentration of pheromones triggered an instinctive alarm. Even as a beta—incapable of receiving biological signals—he knew such overwhelming fragrance signaled serious trouble. Any rational person would recognize it immediately.

By the time he reached the second floor, the entire level was saturated with the cloying aroma of gardenia. A light fragrance was pleasant—but at this density, it became suffocating. Ji Anzhi coughed twice, grabbed the pheromone neutralizer, and sprayed frantically.

Once the scent subsided slightly, Ji Anzhi focused on locating Qi Yanshen. Given how much neutralizer he’d just used, Qi Yanshen was undoubtedly on the second floor—most likely near the emergency isolation room.

There he was—curled against the wall beside the sofa, hands clenched tightly around his own uniform. His military cap lay abandoned somewhere, and his short black hair was drenched with sweat.

Alarmed by Qi Yanshen’s condition, Ji Anzhi hurried over and asked gently, “What’s wrong? Did your cycle come early?”

Qi Yanshen didn’t respond. He remained buried deep in the crook of his arm—like a frightened ostrich, stubbornly burying its head in the sand.

Ji Anzhi had no choice but to soothe the overwhelmed alpha—his voice soft, calm, and reassuring.

"Qi Yanshen? Can you hear me? I'm your roommate, Ji Anzhi. You're going into your rut; you need to get into isolation quickly. Can you still move?"

Qi Yanshen remained unresponsive, his hands clenching even tighter.

After several minutes of persuasion, Ji Anzhi was completely out of options. He sent a message to Lu Yan, telling him to come back quickly to help. Even if he wanted to drag Qi Yanshen to the emergency isolation room, his own slight frame wouldn't allow it.

When Lu Yan received the message, he was still waiting for Jian Fuxu in the lab. Lu Yan hadn't expected his childhood friend's rut to arrive early and without any warning, especially since everything seemed normal just yesterday.

Lu Yan messaged Ji Anzhi back saying he was on his way, urgently opened the lab door, grabbed Jian Fuxu who was still experimenting, and sprinted to the car.

Jian Fuxu's expression was dark. "You'd better have a good reason for this."

Lu Yan replied frantically, "Qi Yanshen's rut has started!"

Jian Fuxu was jolted. Wasn't Qi Yanshen's rut still a week away? How could there be no warning signs at all—not even the usual pre-rut pheromone leakage—and it just hit directly?

Suddenly recalling the incident a month and a half ago, he remembered Qi Yanshen had been affected then, with a banned drug triggering a pheromone flare. Qi Yanshen must have taken a large dose of inhibitors that time. No wonder this rut came without any warning.

Jian Fuxu found an isolation mask and put it on. Otherwise, by the time he reached the dorm, he wouldn't be there to help but to clear out the entire dormitory area.

Meanwhile, as Lu Yan and Jian Fuxu were rushing back, just after Ji Anzhi sent the message, he was pounced on by Qi Yanshen the next second.

Knocked to the ground, Ji Anzhi's first instinct was to push Qi Yanshen away. Unfortunately, the gap in their strength was insurmountable; the other man didn't budge an inch.

Qi Yanshen held him tightly, his grip so powerful it felt like he was trying to break his bones. Ji Anzhi couldn't help but let out a muffled grunt of pain.

"Mmm..."

This groan seemed to provoke Qi Yanshen. He tore open the collar of Ji Anzhi's uniform shirt, buttons scattering to who-knows-where.

He brought his nose close to the other's neck, his hot breath hitting the sensitive, vulnerable skin there. Ji Anzhi felt a wave of terror like he'd never known.

He quickly spoke up, trying to snap Qi Yanshen out of it. "Qi Yanshen! Snap out of it! I'm not an omega!"

Unfortunately, Qi Yanshen had lost all rationality. He didn't even register who was beneath him and couldn't comprehend what Ji Anzhi was saying. He just found him so loud.

Driven by primal urges, Qi Yanshen leaned down without a second thought and kissed him, silencing those incessantly talking thin lips.

Ji Anzhi's pupils contracted sharply, unable to believe Qi Yanshen had actually kissed him!

The next second, Ji Anzhi thrashed fiercely, trying to break free from the embrace of the desire-consumed alpha. Sadly, Ji Anzhi's strength was like nothing compared to an S-class alpha's. In the end, he only exhausted himself.

Feeling his prey's struggle, Qi Yanshen used one hand to pin Ji Anzhi's wrists, breached his defenses, and invaded his territory.

Ji Anzhi was now filled with bitter regret. Why did he have to meddle? He should have just stood aside, sent the message, and gone back to his room! Why did he care what happened to you!

But there was no medicine for regret. Ji Anzhi could only bear the consequences.

To lower Qi Yanshen's guard, Ji Anzhi stopped struggling. Sensing his prey had quieted down, Qi Yanshen loosened his grip. Ji Anzhi, as hoped, retrieved his slightly aching wrists.

Taking out a high-dose anesthetic patch from his Space Bracelet, Ji Anzhi looked for an opportunity to apply it to Qi Yanshen's neck.

Oblivious to this, Qi Yanshen released the soft place and instead turned his attention to Ji Anzhi's completely undeveloped gland. He flipped Ji Anzhi over and began nuzzling and licking the gland area on the back of Ji Anzhi's neck.

Startled by this sudden move, Ji Anzhi thought his plan had been seen through. But the next second, an electric jolt shot through him, and he almost dropped the patch in his hand.

A beta's gland is undeveloped and cannot be marked, but it's still densely packed with nerves, and its sensitivity is not low.

Ji Anzhi spoke in a flustered, incoherent panic. "Qi Yanshen! I'm not an omega! Can't you snap out of it? You can't mark me!"

The alpha behind him remained unmoved. Ji Anzhi felt like he was about to cry...

Ji Anzhi hated this kind of force where there was no room for resistance, just like in his childhood—when he didn't even have the right to say no. Even if he mustered the courage to resist, not only would he fail, but he would also implicate others, dragging them down as well.

Ji Anzhi's eyes grew resolute. He quietly took out a micro-bomb from his Space Bracelet. At worst, they would all die here today.

Just as Qi Yanshen was about to attempt to mark him, Ji Anzhi activated the bomb.

"Boom!"

Lu Yan and Jian Fuxu, almost at the dorm, heard the commotion and sensed something was wrong. Quickly identifying the source, they realized it came from their dorm's direction!

Their ominous premonition was confirmed upon seeing the ruins that were once their dorm. Lu Yan was speechless. He never imagined the first time their dorm was destroyed wouldn't be the work of that little madman, Jian Fuxu.

By the time they arrived, quite a few people had already gathered nearby, curious about what had happened.

From within the ruins, Qi Yanshen, bloodied, emerged carrying Ji Anzhi, whose clothes were disheveled but who was otherwise unharmed. Lu Yan and Jian Fuxu hurried forward to take Ji Anzhi from him.

They were about to ask what happened when Qi Yanshen, unable to hold on any longer, collapsed straight to the ground, unconscious just like Ji Anzhi.

...