Chapter 37

Chapter 37

At fifteen, during his first presentation, Li Tingyuan shoved an omega at him. He drove that omega away, getting through it with suppressants and sheer pain. Later, he saw an interview with a colonel on screen, and from then on, he had a new way to cope with his ruts.

Over the years, he had grown accustomed to it. Even after marrying that colonel from the screen, he never intended to let him comfort him. He never expected Lin Ze to come looking for him on his own.

Sometimes, Li Xiujin felt Lin Ze was kind to everyone, even to a dog. Other times, he felt he held a somewhat different place in Lin Ze's heart. Like now, for instance, Lin Ze was trembling as he held his arm, asking in a voice thick with pain why he would do this to himself...

Li Xiujin stayed silent on purpose, letting him continue to worry.

"Xiu Jin, I brought bandages. Let me bandage you up first, okay?"

His scent filled Li Xiujin's nostrils, making his body grow hotter and his erection harder, yearning to be buried deep in a safe nest.

Li Xiujin buried his face in Lin Ze's chest, pressing his entire face against his clothes, breathing him in obsessively, yet he said coldly, "Leave me alone."

Lin Ze trembled, slowly unbuttoning his own shirt to expose the gland on his neck.

"If you're hurting... you can bite me here..."

It was okay to be rough with him, just please don't be so cruel to yourself anymore.

When Li Xiujin didn't answer, Lin Ze fumbled for the bandages in the darkness, wrapping them around Li Xiujin's arm gently, tenderly, one loop after another. When he finished, a barely audible gasp sounded in the room, followed by a scalding tear falling onto Li Xiujin's forehead.

"When I was ten, my parents died suddenly. Lin Zhuo's father took me in right away. Because of this, his wife divorced him. He raised both Lin Zhuo and me by himself. He should have retired and enjoyed life, but he worried about me going alone to complete the Regeneration Plan, so he came with me... and died there."

"Lin Zhuo is the only child he left behind. I can't just abandon him."

A few seconds of silence hung between them.

"And it's not because I wanted a divorce that I wanted to get pregnant quickly. It was because..."

"I wanted a child with you..."

Lin Ze repeated, his voice trembling, "I truly wanted a child with you..."

Suddenly, his lips were sealed, his clenched teeth were pried open. An overwhelming scent and a scorching tongue invaded his mouth. Lin Ze froze for a moment, then parted his lips further, allowing Li Xiujin's tongue to delve deeper and suck hungrily.

His pants were quickly pulled off. A rough hand groped him for a moment before he felt a burning, thick heat pressing against him.

An alpha in rut has immense strength and destructive urges. Just feeling it pressing against him now filled Lin Ze with intense fear, yet he still shamefully opened himself up.

After drinking his fill from Lin Ze's mouth, Li Xiujin withdrew his tongue but did not bite Lin Ze's gland.

Lin Ze asked, shame coloring his voice, "Xiu Jin... don't you want to bite my gland?"

Only heavy panting answered him.

"Are you afraid of hurting me?"

"It's okay... it doesn't hurt..."

Li Xiujin suddenly gripped his waist, flipping him over, then pressed down on him from behind. While hiking up one of Lin Ze's legs, he took the gland into his mouth like a pacifier, sucking and nibbling.

Lin Ze shuddered, his body and face flushing with heat. Soon, the tip pushed in, inch by inch, reaching the entrance to his reproductive cavity.

The depths of him ached and fluttered open, but he stopped there, making no move to advance further...

Li Xiujin remained motionless. Even in the pitch darkness, Lin Ze could feel Li Xiujin's intense gaze fixed on him.

Thinking Li Xiujin's mind was muddled by the rut, Lin Ze guided him, utterly ashamed. "Xiu Jin... you can go in... it will make you more comfortable..."

Then he heard him say, "Say you love me now."

So that's what he wanted? Lin Ze trembled lightly, covering his eyes. "...I love you."

"Say it again."

"I love you..."

His reproductive cavity was filled.

Lin Ze went limp beneath Li Xiujin, was turned over and over. He didn't know how much time had passed. When he regained consciousness, a head was buried in his arms, a mouth sucking at his chest, and a knot was still locked inside his reproductive cavity.

Lin Ze couldn't move. "Are you asleep?"

No response.

Lin Ze placed a hand on his head, stroking it gently, then hugged his head and closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, the space in his arms was empty, but his legs were shamelessly spread wide. A nimble tongue licked him, from his thighs all the way to the seam between his legs, then took his length entirely into its mouth and sucked hard until Lin Ze secreted fluid uncontrollably.

Lin Ze covered his mouth, trying not to let any moans escape, but a few still slipped out.

Realizing he was awake, Li Xiujin, like a child with unmet oral fixation, burrowed his head into Lin Ze's loosely hanging shirt. After taking a deep inhale, he took a nipple into his mouth, pressed against the already slightly gaping entrance, and thrust in while suckling.

Lin Ze's face flushed crimson. Weakly, he wrapped his arms around Li Xiujin's neck. "Xiu Jin... slower... go slower..."

Li Xiujin gave a hoarse grunt in response, then continued burying himself diligently.

Three days later, Li Xiujin's feverish body temperature gradually returned to normal, but he still insisted on sucking on Lin Ze's gland or chest, remaining knotted inside his reproductive cavity, unwilling to withdraw.

"Xiu Jin... are you still uncomfortable?" Lin Ze asked softly.

"We should go out now..."

Being locked in here for three days was fortunate, as it happened to be a holiday period.

Li Xiujin seemed not to hear, sucking on his chest with a force as if trying to draw something out.

Lin Ze trembled slightly. His chest, like his reproductive cavity, had been constantly sucked and bitten. The slightest touch made him shiver, let alone such intense licking and sucking. "Xiu Jin... let's go home, okay?"

The door to the confinement room finally opened. Lin Ze was bundled tightly in Li Xiujin's overcoat, carried to the car, and taken home.

Once home, after being fed water and food mouth-to-mouth by Li Xiujin, he wanted to continue.

Lin Ze felt that if they went again, he might not survive. He said shamefully, "I don't have the strength anymore."

Afraid that holding back would make Li Xiujin suffer, Lin Ze coaxed him softly like a child. "Let me... help you with my mouth, okay?"

Li Xiujin looked at his fair, handsome face, his Adam's apple bobbing heavily.

Only, Lin Ze didn't expect that while he was using his mouth to help Li Xiujin, Li Xiujin was also using his mouth to help him. Lin Ze, who thought this would be easier, found it was not...

Lin Ze didn't wake up until noon the next day. Li Xiujin seemed exhausted, sleeping soundly with his face pressed tightly against Lin Ze's chest. Lin Ze gazed at him quietly, finally unable to resist gently stroking his face with his hand.

After a while, Lin Ze got up very quietly. He went downstairs, first called Lu Mo to ask about the latest progress in the investigation, then remembered something else. He instructed the servants to inform him when Li Xiujin woke up, and hurried out.

He went to the place where Li Xiujin was holding Lin Zhuo.

The guards let him pass without issue.

As soon as he saw Lin Ze, Lin Zhuo asked, "Ge, are you here to get me out? I'll never dare to do it again. Tell Li Xiujin to let me go."

Lin Ze looked at his brother. When he was twenty, he lost his entire team and his mentor overnight, leaving him alone. At that time, Lin Zhuo had been a major source of motivation for him. Lin Ze had never expected him to achieve great things; he only hoped he could live a safe and peaceful life. But perhaps he had spoiled him too much, which led him to become like this.

Lin Ze shook his head.

"Xiao Zhuo, this time you must take responsibility for your mistake. No matter how Li Xiujin punishes you, I won't beg for you again," Lin Ze said.

"Brother," Lin Zhuo widened his eyes in disbelief, unable to imagine these words coming from Lin Ze's mouth. "I know I messed up."

Lin Ze fell silent for a moment, then let out a bitter laugh. "If you had stolen and used my official seal, I might have forgiven you this once. But you not only took advantage of me, you also exploited Li Xiujin's trust in me."

"Do you know how guilty I feel toward him?"

Lin Ze trembled. He had always helped Lin Zhuo, but what he got in return was this. It was heartbreaking.

"Brother, I didn't think that far. Yang Yu said Li Xiujin plans to throw me in jail for years. You wouldn't really let me go to prison, would you..." Lin Zhuo pleaded, looking at Lin Ze.

"Actually, I've thought about it. Prison might be the safest place for you right now," Lin Ze said seriously.

Lin Zhuo's face turned ashen. "Brother..."

Lin Ze turned and left. Walking outside, he saw a lush tree with a table placed beneath it. Suddenly, he remembered that before the incident, whenever Lin Zheng had time off, he would take him and Lin Zhuo to the park to play Go. Because Lin Zhuo was young, Lin Ze would let him win. Lin Zheng would always sigh helplessly, "Indulging him like this, how can it be good? He's already unruly enough as it is."

Lin Ze's eyes grew hot, nearly overwhelmed by self-blame and guilt.

In the end, he hadn't raised him properly...

*

Lin Ze had just arrived home when he saw the worried look on the servant's face.

Lin Ze hurried back to the bedroom. As soon as he entered, his wrist was seized and he was pinned against the door. Before he could speak, he was kissed roughly. Lin Ze felt a twinge of pain, trembling lightly in Li Xiujin's embrace, allowing him to vent...

Soon, he was thrown onto the bed. Li Xiujin loomed over him, staring at him with a shadowed gaze, his voice cold. "Being so obedient? Are you planning to beg me to release Lin Zhuo?"

Lin Ze shook his head.

"No..."

Li Xiujin: "Then I won't show mercy. I'll handle him exactly as he should be handled."

Lin Ze's face paled, but he still nodded.

"He made a mistake and should take responsibility. Locking him up for a while might actually be better for him."

Li Xiujin continued to ask, "Doesn't it pain you?"

"Compared to feeling sorry for him, I feel more guilty toward... you. I never expected him to act like this."

Li Xiujin's expression finally softened completely. He pulled Lin Ze into his arms, pressing their foreheads together, his voice hoarse. "Since you feel guilty toward me, how are you going to make it up to me?"

Lin Ze felt ashamed, asking softly, "What do you want..."

Li Xiujin took his lips into his mouth, sucking on them, then used his fingers to sensually rub his damp lips back and forth. "Take it in your mouth."

Lin Ze covered his eyes and nodded.

Li Xiujin sat on a chair. Lin Ze, feeling ashamed, knelt between his legs. He gently pulled down his pants, and it sprang out, slapping against his face. Lin Ze trembled for a moment, then extended his tongue and licked it.

The warmth inside his mouth sent shivers down Li Xiujin's spine. He pressed Lin Ze's head down, thrusting straight into the depths of his throat. Lin Ze choked, a flush rising to his face, but he still lifted his fair, handsome face, trying hard to open his lips wider, using his narrow throat to suck on it.

After a few throbbing pulses, it was pulled out with a wet pop.

"Swallow it."

Lin Ze swallowed it down in shame.

"Open your mouth."

Lin Ze obediently opened his mouth.

Seeing he had cleaned it all, Li Xiujin carried him back to bed and then burrowed into his arms. Lin Ze paused for a moment before actively embracing him, saying softly, "Xiu Jin, during your rut, please don't hurt yourself anymore, okay?"

"Don't hide it from me either. I want to be with you..."

"Hmm."

*

"Colonel Lin said it's okay to lock him up for a while?" Fu Zhi said incredulously.

Li Xiujin nodded.

"It seems in Colonel Lin's heart, your weight has already surpassed Lin Zhuo's."

Li Xiujin gave a light, pleased snort.

"Actually, locking him up is good. Lin Zhuo can't distinguish friend from foe. As the situation becomes increasingly serious, if we continue to let him act recklessly, he might cause even greater trouble or even be in danger. Locking him up is actually a way to protect him."

This was exactly Li Xiujin's plan. Before dismissing Fu Zhi, Li Xiujin suddenly added, "Go get your reward."

Fu Zhi immediately understood why and smiled slightly. "Thank you, General."

After Fu Zhi left, Li Xiujin finished dealing with the piled-up work and drove home. It was very late when he arrived. While going to take a shower, he noticed the door to the room he used for storing things was slightly ajar. Frowning, he called a servant.

"Perhaps Mr. Lin didn't close it properly after organizing the things inside last time?" the servant suggested.

"He went in there?"

"It was the day your rut started. He stayed inside for a long time."

Li Xiujin nodded.

After showering, he returned to the bedroom. As soon as he hugged Lin Ze, Lin Ze woke up.

"Xiu Jin..."

"You saw everything."

Lin Ze understood what he meant. "Yes."

"Why did you collect so many... photos of me?"

"Colonel Lin, I'm your fan."

Lin Ze, however, felt somewhat embarrassed. "But I've become like this now..."

At twenty, he was indeed radiant, but after seven years, he had become no different from an ordinary alpha.

"What do you mean, 'like this'?" Li Xiujin frowned.

Lin Ze smiled bitterly, "Down on my luck, a mess..."

"At fifteen, I was bruised and battered, filthy, but you, in your neat, clean uniform, still hugged me." Li Xiujin buried his head in the crook of his neck.

"We... met before?" Then Lin Ze suddenly remembered that one year, the military, to inspire kids headed for the academy, brought them to meet him and his teammates. Most of the children were neat and tidy, except for one solitary child standing alone, bruised and battered and dirty, as if he had just been in a fight.

During the farewell hugs, Lin Ze, seeing him alone and pitiful, took the initiative to offer him a hug.

So that's how it was...

"But you were only fifteen then, maybe you couldn't distinguish what real love was..."

Li Xiujin had long anticipated he would say this and snorted coldly:

"Colonel Lin, the first person I ever jerked off to was you."