Chapter 5 In What Capacity Are You Asking Me?

Chapter 5: Who are you to ask me that?

Washing off a mark hurts like hell, even for a temporary mark, especially an Enigma's mark.

The only saving grace is that temporary marking doesn’t require surgery; an injection of the medicine will do the trick.

After Chen Su finished data compilation and submitted the instrument test report to his superiors, he went to the hospital. As soon as he sat down in the exam room, the doctor glanced at the work badge on Chen Su’s chest, uncapped his pen, and said, "Hello, what seems to be the problem?"

"I’d like to have the mark removed."

"A permanent mark?"

"A temporary mark."

"Do you need a mark removal surgery? It will be more thorough and have fewer side effects."

"No."

"Alright." The doctor prescribed Chen Su some medication. "The pharmacy is on the first floor. After getting the medicine, go to the injection room. There are medical staff there who can help you with the injection..."

"No need." Chen Su asked, "How many doses of the special medication are needed for an Enigma’s temporary mark?"

The doctor was taken aback, his voice rising. "An Enigma?"

"Yes."

"..." The doctor studied Chen Su. Chen Su was wearing leather gloves, with a visible bruise on his wrist, his neck red, his face pale. The doctor repeatedly checked the computer screen, confirming that the man before him was listed as an S3-level alpha. After a moment’s hesitation, he asked quietly, "Do you need me to call the police for you?"

"No need." Chen Su’s tone was cold. "Please answer my question."

"Three... three doses."

The doctor warned, "Three doses injected consecutively far exceed the gland’s capacity. It'll make you pass out from the pain and may result in irreversible damage to the gland. I suggest you discuss this with your... partner. An Enigma’s temporary mark can last three months and will gradually fade after that. You really don’t need to..."

"Please prescribe three doses of the special medication. Thank you."

Chen Su left the exam room.

Chen Su was dead set on it.

Although he and Sheng Beiqing were in a contractual marriage, Old Mr. Sheng and the people in the capital were unaware. His temporary marking by Zhao Jinzong was an accident.

Chen Su didn’t want to cause any unnecessary trouble for anyone.

He had to remove the mark.

The doctor watched him disappear and didn't call the next patient for a while. After a beat, he snapped back to reality, sweating buckets, and called the General Administration.

...

In the afternoon, Chen Su received a call from the insurance company. His car was totaled and needed to be returned to the factory for repairs. He made a few vague sounds of acknowledgment, hung up, and continued working.

He was still in his sensitive period and had injected suppressants, but their effect was much weaker than before, probably because of the mark. He was rarely distracted, but now he repeatedly thought of Zhao Jinzong.

When it was finally time to get off work, Chen Su hailed a taxi to go home, but Xu Jing’s car pulled up in front of him. "Inspector Chen, let me give you a ride."

"No need to trouble you. I still have to pick up my omega." Chen Su’s taxi arrived. He raised his hand, and with his black leather gloves, he opened the silver car door and got in swiftly.

Xu Jing’s car didn’t drive away for a long time.

He knew that Chen Su didn’t have an omega.

Chen Su only had the pheromones of a high-level alpha on him.

Chen Su was only into alphas.

After arriving home, Chen Su didn’t even take off his gloves. As he went upstairs, he roughly unbuttoned his shirt, pried open the metal cap of the vial with his teeth, drew it into the syringe, sat on the sofa, and injected it into his gland with one hand, like he'd done it a thousand times.

He'd washed off the mark.

Removing an Enigma’s mark was much more painful than Chen Su had imagined.

Even though Chen Su had braced himself, he couldn't take it and fainted from the pain.

...

In the car.

In the back seat, the Enigma in heat sat bold and commanding, lit a cigarette and clamped it between his lips. The wind made the tip of his cigarette glow and dim. His strong, muscular arms rested on the armrest, his handsome face was screwed up in a frown as he blew out smoke, in agony.

The car stopped in front of Chen Su’s villa.

Uncle Wen, who was being choked by the pheromones in the car and was drenched in cold sweat, got out with the invoice and pressed the doorbell. No one answered for a long time.

Uncle Wen returned to the car. "Chief, Inspector Chen is probably asleep..."

Even Uncle Wen felt guilty saying that.

The lights on the second floor were still on. He just got off work; how could he be asleep already?

Before Uncle Wen could wait for a response from the back seat, a white car screeched to a halt urgently. A man in a white coat got out, walked straight to the door, pressed the doorbell for a while, and when there was no answer, punched in the code and let himself into Chen Su’s house.

Uncle Wen muttered under his breath, "Is this... Inspector Chen's new alpha?"

Only Chen Su's alpha would know the code to his house.

Zhao Jinzong stubbed out his cigarette, his eyes went dark, and stepped out of the car with his long legs.

...

Xu Jing was holding a file. He called out a couple times, got no answer, and headed upstairs.

On the sofa in the living room, he saw Chen Su sleeping.

Chen Su lay on his side, his black leather gloves pressed against his cheek, making his pale skin look even more fragile. Chen Su looked like he was having a nightmare; he faintly frowned, his face twisted in a pained, strained look.

It was too much like...

Xu Jing reached out, and just as he was about to touch Chen Su’s skin, he looked down and spotted the red marks on Chen Su’s neck, the swollen patch on his neck, and the syringe that had fallen to the floor!

Xu Jing instantly knew something was off.

"Chen Su? Chen Su! What's going on?"

Xu Jing yelled. Chen Su's brow furrowed even more, and his curled fingers twitched.

Xu Jing picked up the syringe from the floor and tossed it into the trash can. He quickly recognized the mark-removal drug!

Three whole vials!

Why would Chen Su need this?

Was Chen Su marked?

Chen Su's husband is Sheng Beiqing. Alpha pheromones are incompatible—they cannot mark each other. How could he be marked?

Xu Jing's mind exploded, as if something had detonated inside him. But he couldn't worry about that now. Chen Su had injected three vials. Three vials would damage the gland!

Xu Jing reached out to Chen Su. "Let me take you to the hospital!"

Before Xu Jing could even finish speaking, a hand shot out to block him, stopping his movement before it could touch Chen Su—

A dark shadow fell over Chen Su's pale face, engulfing it in gloom. The Enigma's gaze was piercing as he looked down at Xu Jing from above. A moment later, he disdainfully averted his eyes, fixing his gaze on the medicine bottle in the trash can.

Zhao Jinzong's legs stretched above the sofa level. He bent down condescendingly and, with one hand, effortlessly scooped up the curled Chen Su, whose back was slender, cradling him in his arms. With the other hand, he supported Chen Su's head, gently resting it against the crook of his own neck. His powerful muscle contours radiated an undeniable authority.

Chen Su did not wake, but his body instinctively struggled for a moment. The next second, Zhao Jinzong used only one hand to grab Chen Su's wrists, pressing them against his lower back. His fingertips slid between Chen Su's fingers, and his large palm clamped down, trapping both of Chen Su's wrists together.

This left no room for resistance.

Xu Jing frowned. "Who are you?"

Xu Jing's eyes burned with hostility.

The man before him was tall and handsome, like a high-grade alpha.

Zhao Jinzong, a man of high position and power, did not need to explain or respond to anyone. His innate nobility was such that he wouldn't even spare an extra glance.

He only gave a light laugh, but it seemed to say: What right do you have to question me?

A powerful, cold wave of pheromone suppression pressed down on Xu Jing, preventing him from even standing up. He was an S2-level alpha; in the entire capital, only a handful could suppress him like this!

Xu Jing had never seen this alpha before.

But the pheromones released by this alpha—he had smelled them on Chen Su that morning.