Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Lin Ze lowered his head, too embarrassed to speak.

Li Xiujin cupped his face.

"Talk."

"It's a... it's for..." Lin Ze trembled. "You."

A lump formed in Li Xiujin's throat.

He opened the box, and a silver watch face gleamed up at him.

He'd sent a subordinate to buy it that morning, only to learn it was sold out and resellers were charging triple. "How much did you spend?" he asked.

"Not much..."

Half a year's salary, and he called it 'not much'.

"Why didn't you use the account I gave you?"

"I... I forgot..."

"You fool."

Lin Ze grew flustered with embarrassment.

That night in bed, Lin Ze, hoping the alpha would have a happy birthday, felt his fair skin flush. He began unbuttoning his clothes.

Li Xiujin looked at the still swollen and raw area, his gloomy eyes darkening instantly.

He unceremoniously took it into his mouth and bit down.

Lin Ze shivered.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, he faintly heard the alpha whisper, "This is the first birthday gift anyone's ever given me."

"I love it."

*

"Professor Lin."

"Professor Lin."

Lin Ze snapped back to reality with an apologetic look. "What is it?"

"Here are those files, Professor." An omega handed him a folder.

"Thank you."

After the omega left, Lin Ze fell into a daze again.

Why was it the first time he received a birthday gift...

A few days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was almost time for Ji Ran to start work. However, Li Xiujin showed no intention of leaving, which made Lin Ze anxious...

He could leave this matter to Lu Mo, but he didn't feel right about it. He didn't want anyone to be put in danger because of him; he couldn't bear that guilt again...

That day, returning home from work, he bumped into Fu Zhi on his way out.

Fu Zhi exchanged a few words with him. "Was the watch a gift from you to the General?"

"Yes."

Fu Zhi smiled and changed the subject. "The General has been coming home earlier these past few days."

"But he has a joint conference to attend tomorrow and won't be back for several days."

"Going on another business trip?" Lin Ze asked casually.

"Yes." Fu Zhi nodded.

Lin Ze entered the living room, shrugged off his coat, and didn't see the alpha. Assuming he was in the study, Lin Ze thought for a moment, then grabbed some fruit and knocked on the study door.

The alpha was on a phone call. After hanging up, he lifted his gaze to Lin Ze and patted his own thigh, a clear command.

Lin Ze trembled and docilely sat on the man's lap.

"Are you... going on a business trip tomorrow?" Lin Ze asked.

The alpha didn't answer. His large hand slipped inside Lin Ze's shirt, wantonly kneading his waist and abdomen, then slowly moved upward, pinching the perpetually sore, reddened spot, teasing it with his calloused fingers.

"Concerned about your husband?"

A flush rose on Lin Ze's face as he nodded in embarrassment.

Li Xiujin let out an inscrutable laugh.

On the day of the business trip, Lin Ze woke up very early to see the alpha off.

After saying goodbye, his cheek was suddenly gripped.

The alpha looked down at him, gazing intently. "Be good and stay at home."

The words were calm, but Lin Ze detected a hint of warning in them. He paled and replied, "Yes... yes..."

Satisfied, the alpha got in the car. After watching it drive away, Lin Ze sent a text to Lu Mo.

- He's on a business trip. I'll go with you tomorrow.

Lu Mo replied quickly.

- Understood, Colonel.

Lin Ze put away his phone, a vague sense of unease settling in his heart.

It wasn't as if his contact with Lu Mo wasn't discreet, and the alpha couldn't possibly know he was investigating Ji Ran...

That night, he had another nightmare. In a frozen, snowy landscape, he was dragged into a wolf den by the alpha wolf known as the Wolf King. During the Wolf King's mating season, he was pinned beneath it like a female wolf.

Unable to resist, it fiercely thrust into his reproductive cavity, knotting and inseminating him, causing intense pain. Then, in an instant, the face of the one pressing down on him transformed into Li Xiujin's...

His belly quickly swelled up...

Lin Ze woke with a start, sitting up in bed with a deathly pale face, afraid to close his eyes again.

The next day, he attended classes as usual. After class, he went to the secret base.

"Scarlet isn't just for drinking; there are also auctions, some cyborg performances, and sexual transactions. That's why it's highly favored by high-ranking officials and nobles. Liu Guang used to be a regular patron."

Lu Mo showed Lin Ze photos from inside the club.

As expected of the largest entertainment venue in Country A, it was a scene of dizzying opulence and indulgence.

"Ji Ran is very vigilant and has seen many clients. If we try to pay for his services, he might see through us. It's better for us to pose as alphas forced to work at Scarlet to pay off debts. That way, we can get closer to Ji Ran."

"Mhm," Lin Ze nodded.

"But in that case, would your husband be okay with that?"

The question gave Lin Ze pause. "...He won't find out."

Lu Mo seemed intrigued. "Colonel, didn't you used to like sweet, cute omegas like Qi Qian? Why did you marry an alpha?"

Lin Ze smiled helplessly. "Who told you I liked sweet, cute omegas?"

"Didn't you? Then why were you engaged to Qi Qian back then?"

"...For many reasons."

Lin Ze began changing clothes. To avoid being recognized and to gain the trust of Scarlet's management, he put on pretty shabby clothes.

"And why did you marry Li Xiujin?"

Lin Ze started tousling his smooth black hair.

"Will you have children in the future?"

Lin Ze turned around, hiding his reddened ears, and said in a tone of authority, "Don't pry into adults' private affairs."

"Colonel, I'm already 21."

"Doesn't make a difference to me."

Lu Mo indignantly fell silent.

Lu Mo also made himself look down on his luck, and then the two headed to Scarlet by car.

Night had already fallen. Although it wasn't the peak business hours yet, many luxury cars were already parked outside. Some portly, yet extravagantly dressed middle-aged men got out of the cars and walked straight in.

When Lin Ze and Lu Mo tried to enter, they were stopped. An attendant said rudely, "What are you here for? Not just anyone can come in."

"We're looking for work. We heard you need people here..." This was exactly what Lin Ze and Lu Mo had anticipated. Lin Ze gave their prepared reason.

"We don't hire just anyone. Get lost."

But another attendant gave a good look at Lin Ze and Lu Mo's faces. Although their clothes were shabby and their hair messy, their faces were exceptionally beautiful, especially the one who spoke. He had a clean, pure aura, the type favored by the rich and powerful.

He interrupted his colleague. "Come with me. I'll take you to see Manager Yang."

Lin Ze and Lu Mo exchanged a subtle glance, then nodded.

The attendant led them through the staff-only entrance to a room.

Inside sat a man smoking a cigar, looking to be in his thirties, slightly plump, with a smiling face. He glanced casually at Lin Ze and Lu Mo. "Aren't you supposed to be working? What are you doing bringing in two beggars?"

"Manager Yang, they're here looking for work."

Manager Yang then stood up from his chair. He first scrutinized Lu Mo carefully, then his gaze finally settled on Lin Ze's face, his eyes glinting slightly. "Why do you want to work here?"

"We heard the money comes fast here."

This answer pleased Manager Yang. He asked further, "You really need money?"

"Yes. My husband gambles, we have two children to support, and our parents are sick... We really have no other choice..."

"Damn, that's rough," Manager Yang said to Lin Ze. "Then you can both stay."

"Perfect timing. There's an important auction tonight with many distinguished guests. Maybe you'll get lucky and some big shot will take a liking to you and take you home. Then you'd really move up in the world."

"What kind of auction?" Lin Ze asked.

"Don't ask questions that don't concern you. Your job is to serve the guests well."

Manager Yang then instructed the attendant, "Take them to the back. Have them bathe, change clothes, and get rid of that smell of poverty."

"You got it."

Next, Lin Ze and Lu Mo were taken for a bath, given clean clothes, and then led to a backstage dressing room. Inside were several omegas and alphas, some dressed as bunny girls, others in miniskirts...

There were also a few who looked like alphas but had full breasts...

"There's a shady business here too. To satisfy some wealthy people's perverse tastes, they surgically alter male alphas to lactate and bear children, creating beings that are neither alpha nor omega," Lu Mo whispered in Lin Ze's ear. "Those two are probably like that."

"People who undergo that kind of modification usually don't live past thirty."

"Are there many who do it?"

"Quite a few. Staying in this environment for long pushes people toward extremes. They say the crowd here turns over completely every three months."

"No one regulates this illegal trade?" Lin Ze frowned.

"Some try, but the boss behind it has a lot of pull."

"Can we find out who it is?"

"No. The name on record is just an ordinary wealthy businessman."

Lin Ze hummed in acknowledgment, then asked:

"So, does that mean Ji Ran has some influence here?"

"Let's just say he's relatively lucky. A rich second-gen is a regular patron."

"It's almost nine. Ji Ran should be here soon."

Right on cue, the dressing room door was pushed open. An alpha in all black walked in, his overly long hair covering his unruly face, with silver studs on his brow bone and lip.

He casually found a spot to sit, pulled off his hat with one hand, revealing a faint glimpse of a black bracelet on his wrist.

"Colonel," Lu Mo whispered.

Lin Ze nodded. "Go."

Lu Mo pretended to trip and stumble toward Ji Ran, then his body tilted, and he fell against Ji Ran.

Ji Ran reacted quickly, trying to dodge, but Lu Mo grabbed the wrist wearing the bracelet.

Ji Ran snarled angrily, "What the hell are you doing?! Let go of me!"

Lu Mo gave a silly grin, clutching his hand and refusing to let go.

"What are you laughing at? Are you out of your mind?" Ji Ran drew back his fist.

Seeing that he was about to strike, Lin Ze stepped forward, "Xiao Mo, let go quickly. You can't do that."

Then he apologized to Ji Ran, "I'm sorry, this is my younger brother. He has an intellectual disability..."

"Let go, Xiao Mo."

Lu Mo still didn't release his grip, holding onto his wrist, his eyes shining as he stared at the black wristband.

"I'm sorry, he probably likes your wristband. May I ask where you bought it?"

Hearing that the other had an intellectual disability, Ji Ran lowered his fist, looking annoyed. "It was a gift."

"I see..."

"Xiao Mo, let go of this brother first. Later, I'll take you to buy one, okay?"

If he kept up the act, he wouldn't learn anything useful and might instead make the other suspicious. Lu Mo obediently released Ji Ran's hand.

Ji Ran wiped the saliva off his hand with disgust. "Why bring him to a place like this?"

Lin Ze said, ashamed, "No one can take care of him, so this is the only way."

Ji Ran snorted coldly.

At that moment, the door was pushed open, and Manager Yang entered.

"Two distinguished guests are here today. Ji Ran, and..." Manager Yang scanned the dressing room, his gaze finally landing on Lin Ze. "...and you, go attend to the guests together."

"Isn't he new here?" Ji Ran frowned.

"That's why you're guiding him."

"I'm not babysitting him," Ji Ran said with a hint of disgust.

Manager Yang forced a couple of awkward laughs, then turned to Lin Ze. "Follow Ji Ran closely."

Lin Ze hummed in acknowledgment. Once Manager Yang left, he exchanged a glance with Lu Mo, figuring out how to get away.

After all, at a place like this, "attending to guests" couldn't possibly mean just chatting.

Someone led them to change clothes. Seeing the flimsy fabric, Ji Ran angrily said, "What kind of clothes are these? How can anyone wear them?"

"No choice, the guests requested it," said the beta staff member.

Lin Ze looked at the clothes and saw they were cheongsams, but clearly a modified version—extremely revealing.

Ji Ran swore under his breath as he dressed.

Meanwhile, Lin Ze and Lu Mo had already figured out their escape route. Lin Ze followed along calmly and put his on as well.

The cheongsam exposed his shoulders, and the side slit reached almost to the root of his thigh. Seeing the matching black stockings, Lin Ze grew even more uncomfortable...

He clumsily put on the stockings. To prevent slipping, he also wore a garter that tightly cinched his thigh...

Just in case, Lin Ze used this garter to tuck the dagger he was carrying against the inside of his thigh.

The cool touch made Lin Ze shiver slightly.

After seeing him in this outfit, Ji Ran was momentarily stunned, then turned his face away. "That bastard Yang has a sharp eye, I'll give him that."

The beta who helped them dress couldn't take his eyes off Lin Ze.

"Does it look weird?" Lin Ze asked shyly.

The beta wiped his drool and quickly shook his head. "No, not at all."

The door was knocked open. "The guests are getting impatient. Hurry up."

"In such a rush to be reborn?" Ji Ran cursed.

The other person sheepishly closed the door.

Next, both of them put on the masks designated for the evening to conceal their faces.

This helped alleviate much of Lin Ze's embarrassment over the bizarre costume.

*

Meanwhile, in front of the door to 'Crimson', a black luxury car slowly came to a stop.

Fu Zhi reported reluctantly, "The Colonel and his subordinate entered inside around eight o'clock in the evening."

Li Xiujin's expression was more sinister than ever before. He got out of the car and strode inside. Fu Zhi followed behind, phoning the owner of Crimson. Soon, the person in charge here knelt before Li Xiujin.

Manager Yang wept bitterly, looking at this alpha in uniform with cold, gloomy eyes. "He said his husband gambled every day, they had two children to support, and his parents were sick... I felt sorry for him, so I let him and his brother stay..."

Husband gambling every day, two children at home...

Fu Zhi broke into a cold sweat, glancing at Li Xiujin's expression—indeed terrifyingly dark. He quickly asked, "Where are they now?"

"Them," Manager Yang's voice was barely audible, "I sent them to... to entertain guests..."

Entertain guests...

Cold sweat dripped from Fu Zhi's forehead.

Li Xiujin clenched a cigarette between his teeth, kicked the manager, and stepped on his shoulder, glaring down at him. "Which guest."

Manager Yang hurriedly answered.

*

Taking advantage of the distraction, Lu Mo quietly slipped into the electrical room for the entire Crimson establishment. Their main objectives for coming here were to confirm if the wristband was identical and to make Ji Ran lower his guard. Lu Mo had carefully examined the wristband—it was indeed identical. Moreover, upon hearing about his intellectual disability, Ji Ran had lowered his fist and hadn't been aggressive, indicating this person still had kindness. As long as he was kind, it would be easier to extract information later...

Lu Mo was about to cut the power to give Lin Ze a chance to escape when suddenly his hands were seized. He was pinned against the wall like a criminal. The other person smiled and said, "Hello, Mr. Lu. I'm Fu Zhi, General Li's assistant."

"Let me go!"

"I will, of course, but not right now."

"Mr. Lu, let's have a chat."

*

The agreed-upon time had passed, but the power still hadn't been cut. Lin Ze guessed that Lu Mo might have run into trouble. He decided to execute the second plan and prepared to leave directly. Just as he braced himself for pursuit, his face suddenly paled.

At some point, two guards had appeared at both ends of the corridor Lin Ze was in. These guards looked very familiar to Lin Ze—they often accompanied Li Xiujin.

Why were they here...

Could it be...

No way... Lin Ze was trembling uncontrollably. He's supposed to be in the neighboring country... there's no way he could have returned...

"What's all this about? Why are there guards posted at both ends? And why do they need to check under our masks?" Ji Ran also noticed and complained.

They even have to remove their masks...

That quickly shattered Lin Ze's hope of slipping through unnoticed. Then he realized his best option now was to duck into a guest's booth first.

Most guests here were pampered and feeble, wouldn't put up a fight. He was still carrying a dagger, enough to keep him safe.

Once he had thought it through, Lin Ze followed Ji Ran and slipped into a private room just as the guards were approaching them.

Just as Lin Ze, thinking he had dodged a bullet, was about to let out a sigh of relief, a familiar, terrifying, spine-chilling scent assaulted his senses...

This is...

"Weren't there supposed to be two guests? How did it become three?" Ji Ran muttered in his ear.

Lin Ze's face turned deathly pale as he looked over Ji Ran's shoulder. There, sitting between two guests too terrified to breathe, trembling, was an imposing, menacing alpha. His sunken eyes were fixed coldly on him...

Cold sweat instantly soaked through his back...

Why is he here...

Soon, Lin Ze comforted himself: he was cross-dressing and wearing a mask. He wouldn't recognize him...

"General Li, I just received news that my father was hospitalized with a cerebral hemorrhage. I must leave first..."

"My troublesome son was also in a car accident. General Li, my apologies, my apologies, I can't stay to accompany you..."

Li Xiujin held a cigarette between his teeth. "What an unfortunate coincidence?"

"Y-yes..."

Li Xiujin leaned back on the sofa. "I won't see you out."

The two men hunched over and scurried away.

Once they were gone, Li Xiujin spoke coldly again. "Get out."

Although Ji Ran found this man terrifying, he thought he was even more of a lunatic. He intended to complain to Lin Ze, but when he turned, he found only himself had stepped out—Lin Ze hadn't.

Now only Lin Ze and the alpha remained in the room...

He had never felt so tormented. Lin Ze kept his head down, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it might leap out of his chest...

What if he was found out dressed like this, serving other guests...

The alpha's voice suddenly rang out. "Well? What's the holdup? Didn't your boss teach you how to serve guests?"

I'm wearing a mask and dressed like this. He won't recognize me, he won't recognize me...

Comforting himself with these thoughts, Lin Ze steeled himself and walked over, kneeling at the alpha's feet to pour tea.

After pouring, he tremblingly offered the cup. For what felt like an eternity, it went unaccepted. Lin Ze could feel the alpha's gaze lingering over his body...

Lin Ze's scalp tightened.

The dress, slit all the way up to the thigh, clearly revealed his snow-white, slender legs. To dress like this while he was away...

Li Xiujin's eyes grew profoundly dark. He deliberately raised his hand and knocked over the teacup...

Lin Ze flinched in fright and immediately moved to clean it up with his hands...

Only to realize the spilled tea was below the waist area. His hands withdrew in humiliation...

But then his chin was abruptly seized, forcing him to look up into the alpha's shadowed eyes, gazing down from above...

The alpha commanded:

"Clean it with your mouth."