Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A matte-black heavy vertical takeoff and landing transport aircraft was sitting on the runway.

Wen Jueqian stood still, studying the massive machine.

There was no airline logo on the fuselage—only a string of serial numbers and the Aegis corporate emblem. Four enormous rotor engines hung beneath the wings, slowly spinning with a deep, powerful hum.

He'd never flown on a heavy transport of this class before.

"Let's go."

A hand landed on his shoulder, and Wen Yanxu led him forward.

The two walked side by side toward the beast. They were similar in height, and from behind, their slender silhouettes threw two overlapping shadows in the morning light.

Over the past few days, Wen Yanxu had been working nonstop on the production license for the 7th-Gen Inhibitor.

The Federal Audit Office's higher-ups had been dragging their feet on the approval, citing perfectly reasonable-sounding excuses—new products involving public safety required more careful evaluation.

But Wen Yanxu knew the truth: there was a game of vested interests at play. Someone didn't want Aegis grabbing the market share that fast.

He'd personally made two trips to the Audit Office, walked the technical team through three special presentations, breaking down the 7th-Gen Inhibitor's safety data piece by piece for them. Through some back-channel connections, he secured a private meeting with the director that ran over three hours—covering everything from tech to industry, and from industry to federal development strategy.

It wasn't until two days ago that the director finally caved, and things would move fast from there.

And those few days had been enough for Wen Jueqian to talk Wen Yanxu into letting him come along to Jueying Island.

Once aboard, the cabin was more spacious than he'd expected. Through the porthole, the roar of the wing engines came through the soundproofing as a low rumble.

Once he sat down, Wen Jueqian started going through messages on his optical device.

Floating World's public beta was right around the corner. As lead producer, the final server stress test report, the beta version sign-off—everything needed his personal stamp of approval. He'd crammed most of his work into the past few days.

Once he got to Jueying Island, external network access would be cut off. He'd only be able to work by connecting to the island's intranet and then hopping over to the Lingjing Era network, which meant a lot of tasks would just have to wait.

Half an hour later, the transport started its descent.

Through the porthole, thick fog blanketed the whole island, leaving only a vague outline visible.

As the transport drew closer to the ground, Wen Jueqian realized this was his first time stepping onto Aegis's most critical research base.

The transport touched down smoothly. When the cabin door opened, sea wind rushed in, thick with damp mist and a faint salty tang.

Around the tarmac, a few silver-white patrol robots glided about, and small drones circled overhead—their flight paths crossing but never colliding.

A young man in a black work uniform jogged up.

"Mr. Wen, CEO Wen." Jin Wang gave a small bow, respectful.

He handed Wen Jueqian a silver card. "This is a temporary pass—already linked to your biometrics."

Wen Jueqian took the card, feeling a brief tingle in his fingertips—the jolt from the biometric recognition kicking in.

This was Jin Wang's first time seeing him in person. He'd only seen photos before, knowing this was the CEO's Beta fiancé. The real thing was even more... Jin Wang scrambled for the right word—a cool, almost ethereal beauty, like a priceless porcelain piece in a museum.

But he didn't dare linger. He quickly looked away and started reporting to Wen Yanxu.

Wen Jueqian studied the card in his hand, then asked after a beat, "Is a pass required to enter every area?"

Jin Wang turned to him: "Yes, Mr. Wen. Different zones have different clearance levels."

Wen Jueqian fell silent, his gaze drifting over the faint outlines of buildings in the distance.

If a pass was required everywhere, then Qiao Yuexun's clearance should've been limited to just the clinical trial area. So when the incident happened, how had he managed to get close to Wen Yanxu?

Wen Yanxu noticed his quiet and figured he was sulking about not being able to move around freely. He slung an arm around his shoulder. "It's fine. Stick with me—you can go wherever you want."

The three of them hopped into one of the island's standard electric carts. Once they passed through the ecological buffer zone on the outskirts, the thick vegetation along the road started thinning out and getting shorter, with the occasional fixed camera popping up.

The roads were mostly empty, with only the occasional supply truck rolling by.

Wen Yanxu's place was in an apartment building.

The apartment was modest—nowhere near the luxury penthouse they shared back in Jing'an Mansion—but more comfortable than Wen Jueqian had expected.

After dropping off the luggage, Jin Wang left.

Only the two remained in the apartment.

The second the door clicked shut behind them, Wen Yanxu turned to face him.

The look wasn't heavy—just settled on his face with a thoughtful, appraising quality.

"So, you gonna tell me now why you insisted on coming along?"

Wen Jueqian's heart tightened slightly.

He thought back to a few nights ago, when he'd been unusually passionate in bed just to get Wen Yanxu to agree. Wen Yanxu had asked, "What's gotten into you tonight?" He'd leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "I can't stand being away from you. I just want a few more days with you." Wen Yanxu had gone still for a moment, then made him repeat "I miss you" over and over before finally agreeing.

He hadn't expected Wen Yanxu to still be onto him.

Wen Jueqian dropped his gaze, deciding to keep up the lie.

"Ever since we got engaged, you've been on the island most of the time. You barely have any time for me."

To sell it, he looked up and met Wen Yanxu's gaze head-on.

Wen Yanxu just looked at him, brows relaxed, face calm, a slight curve at the corner of his mouth—but his eyes held that look of someone who saw right through him.

Wen Jueqian steeled himself and pushed on: "I miss you. Is that not allowed?"

Wen Yanxu was quiet for two seconds.

Then he laughed. The smile started in his eyes.

He stepped closer, reached out to ruffle Wen Jueqian's hair, a hint of helpless indulgence in the gesture.

"My bad. I really have been slacking on time with you lately."

Wen Jueqian had just let out a relieved breath when he caught the shift in tone.

"But, Qianqian."

Wen Yanxu dipped his head, those ice-blue eyes narrowing slightly, that knowing smile playing at the corners. He was too close—close enough that Wen Jueqian could feel the warmth of his breath.

"Floating World's about to launch—this is exactly when you're busiest." His voice dropped low, slow and deliberate. "You ditched your work to follow me here. That's not like you."

Wen Jueqian was speechless.

Wen Yanxu knew him too well.

Seven years was enough to know someone's habits, temperament, and every little reaction inside and out.

He took a deep breath, raised his eyes, and met his gaze.

"Someone told me." He reached out and grabbed Wen Yanxu's tie, his knuckles tightening as he yanked him closer the instant he finished speaking. "There's an Omega on this island whose pheromone compatibility with me hits 90%."

Wen Yanxu was pulled slightly forward by the tug, yet showed no displeasure. On the contrary, the amusement in his eyes deepened.

This excuse was half true, half false.

Wen Yanxu's Omega father, He Yishui, had never been satisfied with his S-level Alpha son choosing to marry an ordinary Beta. He couldn't sway Wen Yanxu's decision, but he had never given up. Over the years, he had been using the pheromone samples Wen Yanxu stored at the hospital to search for Omegas with high compatibility.

Qiao Yuexun, as the star spokesperson for the 7th-Gen Inhibitor, needed to undergo a comprehensive medical examination at a hospital under Aegis before signing the contract, to confirm his gland health and normal pheromone levels. The moment his examination report was issued, his profile was already on He Yishui's desk.

Wen Jueqian had learned this information from reading about it.

He knew that He Yishui had never really accepted him. Three years ago, when Wen Yanxu brought up the engagement, He Yishui had been the most vocal opponent.

The father and son had argued over and over about it. For a while, Wen Yanxu almost never went home. It wasn't until Wen Yanxu gradually made a name for himself at Aegis, earning recognition for his abilities and gaining the support of his Alpha father, Wen Shijun, that the engagement finally moved forward.

Six months ago, the two were finally engaged.

After hearing his words, Wen Yanxu wrapped an arm around Wen Jueqian's waist, pulling him close, and looked down at him. The distance between them shrank to almost nothing, their breaths intertwining.

"So—" He drawled, a teasing smile in his eyes, speaking slowly and unhurriedly. "Does a certain little cat not trust me?"

Wen Jueqian was silent.

"My guess is." Wen Yanxu's voice was low, like he was sharing a secret only the two of them knew. "That Omega is on the staff list you got from Assistant Chen."

Wen Jueqian's breath caught, his pupils dilating slightly.

Wen Yanxu's eyes were deep-set, the corners tilting slightly upward. When he looked at someone with focused attention, there was always an innate intensity. Now, looking at Wen Jueqian, it was like watching a small animal that thought it had hidden well, but whose tail was already sticking out.

Wen Jueqian was the first to back down.

He lowered his gaze, released his grip on the tie, and took a step back to put some space between them.

But Wen Yanxu held on.

He caught Wen Jueqian's hand, lacing their fingers together, while his other hand gripped Wen Jueqian's waist, holding him firmly in place.

"Afraid someone's gonna steal me away?"

He lowered his head, his lips nearly brushing Wen Jueqian's ear, warm breath washing over sensitive skin.

There was a smile in his voice he couldn't hide. "Then this little cat better keep a close eye on me."

His breath, carried on his words, washed over him, burning Wen Jueqian's ears all the way to his neck. He turned his head, changing the subject. "I still have to unpack."

The next second, Wen Yanxu's hand on Wen Jueqian's waist suddenly tightened, pulling him into his arms. His other hand came up, tilting Wen Jueqian's chin up, forcing him to meet his eyes.

"I'll take care of the unpacking in a bit."

The moment the words fell, his lips were on his.

At first, it was just lips against lips, but he wasn't satisfied with that for long. He caught Wen Jueqian's lower lip, gently sucking, tracing the line of his lips with his tongue.

Wen Jueqian's breathing grew unsteady from the kiss, instinctively trying to pull back again, but a hand caught the back of his head, pinning him in place.

The second Wen Jueqian's lips parted, Wen Yanxu deepened the kiss. His tongue slipped in, tangling with Wen Jueqian's in a deep, heavy kiss, with an unyielding possessiveness.

After what felt like a long time, Wen Yanxu finally let him go.

Wen Jueqian breathed raggedly, his lips swollen from the kissing, his eyes glazed with moisture. He glared at Wen Yanxu, wanting to say something, but found he couldn't even catch his breath.

Wen Yanxu was still watching him. He raised his hand, his thumb gently brushing the corner of Wen Jueqian's mouth, wiping away the dampness.

==========Author's Note:==========

Contract signed successfully, lq will randomly send out a few little red envelopes.

Just like a little cat.