AMBTMS Chapter 196

Why was Gu Lin here?

Soon, Li Shu stopped thinking about that question, as the match had begun. The competition was divided into two types: one involved direct mecha combat, and the other took place in a virtual environment with virtual mechas.

Li Shu was participating in the second type, and now he was watching the first.

This was the first time Li Shu had seen a real mecha. It felt completely different from what he had seen in a virtual setting. From the moment the first mecha took the stage, his eyes never left it.

The two people in the seats next to him were occasionally discussing the match, but Li Shu didn’t listen to them at all. He was focused on observing the mechas on the field. Though he had encountered mechas many times in the holographic environment, it was ultimately a simulation, and it wasn’t the same as seeing the real thing in front of him.

Technology in this world had reached a level where it was hard to distinguish between the real and the simulated. Even a holographic environment could feel like you were truly in that world. The virtual mechas tried their best to replicate the experience of real mechas, and thinking about his past experiences made Li Shu’s palms feel slightly warm.

If he could truly come into contact with these machines and fight alongside them, it would surely be an unforgettable experience.

Unfortunately, with his current status, he had no way of accessing real mechas, especially the kind used by the military for combat.

One match ended, and it was only the warm-up. But anyone who participated in such a competition had a solid foundation, and Li Shu found it quite enjoyable to watch.

At the same time, the Star Network was live-streaming the event. This had become a grand occasion for the Empire’s citizens once every three years. The participants might be the future stars of the Empire, and after this competition, the next time people saw them, they might be gaining glory in the military.

Li Shu and the others had a great view from their seats. As the match continued, Lu Yao occasionally introduced the mechas in the competition to him. Many of these mechas were developed by the Mecha Association, and when it came to talking about them, Lu Yao was like an encyclopedia.

While this side was filled with laughter and joy, Gu Lin didn’t feel quite as happy.

An Alpha’s possessiveness toward an Omega was etched into their bones. Likewise, they were highly sensitive to the presence of other Alphas. So, the moment Gu Lin arrived, he immediately noticed that the person next to Li Shu was an Alpha—and one who clearly had “evil intentions” toward Li Shu.

Sometimes, an Alpha’s instincts were as sharp as a beast’s when it came to people approaching their partner. The more Gu Lin looked, the more he felt that the Alpha beside Li Shu had “bad intentions”.

He sized up the Alpha. He was fairly handsome, but still far inferior to himself. Gu Lin withdrew his gaze, hiding the various emotions stirring within him.

In the past, Gu Lin had always refused to believe in the natural attraction between Alphas and Omegas. He had met countless Omegas throughout his life, and whenever he saw the comments made by Alphas on the Star Network, he sneered.

Compatibility?

What was that?

Natural attraction?

How could such a thing exist?

In his rise to where he was now, it wasn’t as if people hadn’t tried to play tricks on him. Compatibility degree was easy to test, and there had been a time when someone had sent him an Omega with a high compatibility to his pheromones. Gu Lin still remembered how he felt back then. He felt nothing but disgust toward that delicate, weak Omega who was in heat, and those sickly sweet pheromones made him sick.

Without another word, he threw the person out and severely punished those involved in the incident. Afterward, there were fewer people who dared to play such tricks. After all, not only did they fail to flatter him, but they also got themselves into trouble. No matter how you looked at it, it wasn’t worth it.

Gu Lin had always thought it was related to his own willpower—until he met Li Shu.

The young man crashed into his arms, bringing with him a faint, refreshing pheromone. It was different from any scent Gu Lin had encountered before—so light, yet it seeped directly into his heart.

It was as if a traveler who had been thirsty in the desert for a long time suddenly encountered a life-saving rainfall. The gentle and soft drizzle fell into his heart and completely melted his heart.

That was the first time Gu Lin had truly understood what other Alphas said about the beauty of Omega pheromones. Before that moment, Omega pheromones had no effect on him. Even if an Omega went into heat in front of him, he could remain completely unaffected.

Everyone outside said his willpower was extraordinary. Indeed, to become a soldier, the first thing you had to do was resist the influence of Omega pheromones. After joining the military, there was specialized training for this. Gu Lin’s indifference wasn’t surprising to anyone; they simply assumed he had strong willpower and was able to resist even such temptation.

During non-heat periods, Alphas and Omegas could still sense each other’s pheromones, though faintly. There were also special drugs to mask the scent of pheromones. When Li Shu first entered this body, he didn’t know much about such things. After the system informed him, he learned to control it consciously.

People with strong mental power could control how much pheromone they released. Although there were drugs for it, those had side effects, so few people used them regularly.

The man who was explaining the mecha’s functions to Li Shu suddenly paused.

“What’s wrong?” Li Shu noticed and asked.

“Nothing.” Bai Yue dismissed the feeling. His eyes scanned the area but he didn’t find anything unusual, so he withdrew his gaze.

The sensation of danger had come and gone so quickly that Bai Yue wasn’t even sure if he had imagined it. Before entering, they had undergone a thorough security check, so there shouldn’t have been any danger. He shook his head, thinking he was just overthinking it.

After the morning session ended, Bai Yue received a sudden notification and he had to leave for an urgent matter.

“I’m really sorry. I promised to treat you to a meal, but I guess that will have to wait until next time.” Bai Yue looked apologetic. He had promised to take Li Shu and Lu Yao out for food, but now had to break his promise.

“It’s fine, senior. Go take care of your business,l.”

Even though Bolai Yue didn’t want to break his word, he couldn’t ignore the pressing issue. As he left, he couldn’t help but wonder why the matter hadn’t come up earlier or later—why did it have to be now?

However, given how important it was, he knew the other party wouldn’t joke about it. Bai Yue smiled to himself helplessly. He really liked this Omega that his junior had introduced. It would be nice if they could spend more time together.

At this point, he still naively believed that, since they were in the same school, even if they missed this chance, there would be other opportunities. Little did he know that soon he’d be so busy he wouldn’t even have time to leave the lab. By the time he was free again, this Omega would already have a powerful protector by his side, marking his territory so clearly that he wouldn’t even have the chance to get close again.

Lu Yao was also called away midway through, leaving only Li Shu by himself. Thinking about the person he had glimpsed earlier, Li Shu smiled—how jealous could one person be?

Sure enough, the man was already waiting for him on his way out.

Li Shu raised an eyebrow and walked straight toward him.

Then he was blocked.

“You…”

“You…”

They both spoke at the same time, and Gu Lin took a step back, “You go first.”

Li Shu was not polite. “What are you doing here?”

Gu Lin hadn’t shown up in a while, so Li Shu subtly glanced over him, checking his body for injuries. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He even had the time to change identities and come to Empire Star—clearly, whatever had happened wasn’t too serious. There was no need to worry.

“Are you not happy to see me?” Gu Lin asked with a cold expression, still wearing an ordinary face. “Did you forget me already, little one?”

‘Little one?’

Li Shu’s heart skipped a beat. After just a few meetings, the man had already come up with a few nicknames for him. Last time it was “little friend”, and now it was “little one”. What would he call him next?

Moreover… Li Shu’s eyes darkened. The words “little one” were something he used to hear often.

Back then, he was still a small ball, cradled in the man’s hands, his ears being playfully touched by long, slender fingers, while a deep, pleasant voice whispered above him.

His mind drifted for a moment, and when Li Shu looked up again, his eyes were filled with complicated emotions.

The memories he had buried deep in his heart suddenly resurfaced, as if some seal had been broken. Those memories, which he had intentionally suppressed and avoided recalling, now came flooding back all because of those two words.

Seeing Li Shu’s strange expression, Gu Lin immediately withdrew his playful demeanor and looked a bit at a loss. “Did I… did I say something wrong?”

He was extremely regretful now. He regretted that he rashly stopped him because of that Alpha, and regretted saying what he had said. Thinking back on his words, Gu Lin’s eyes flashed with frustration—how could he have said such a thing?

“If I did something wrong, I apologize, I…”

Seeing the man’s anxious expression, Li Shu smiled. “It has nothing to do with you. I just thought of something from the past.”

Even though Li Shu explained, Gu Lin still wasn’t at ease. Clearly, the young man had been in a good mood earlier, and his expression changed only after he had spoken.

“It really has nothing to do with you,” Li Shu interrupted his overthinking and asked, “So, what are you doing here?”

“I’m here to watch the competition.” That’s a lie. I’m here to see you. Of course, Gu Lin didn’t dare to say that now. He was afraid of scaring the young man.

He had been too impulsive. Li Shu had just come of age, and after what happened with Helian Zheng, he must be wary of strangers. Gu Lin knew he had to restrain himself and take it slow. The adjutant was right—he couldn’t frighten him away.

“Then, the reason you’re looking for me now is…” Li Shu didn’t expose him. Right now, he was just an unimportant child of the Li family and shouldn’t know too much.

“I came to check on you,” Gu Lin said, his eyes dark and steady as he looked at Li Shu. “What I said last time still stands. If anything happens, you can come to me. With me here, I won’t let anyone have the chance to bully you again.”

“I noticed you seem really interested in mechas. Do you want to see a real one?”

Li Shu’s eyes lit up instantly. “Can I?”

Because he was an Omega, Li Shu had a slender build. He had a small round face like his mother’s, and now was looking at Gu Lin with wide eyes. Gu Lin’s heart was already soft towards him, and he couldn’t stand being looked at like this. He immediately said, “Of course.”

“When can we go?” As if realizing he was too eager, Li Shu lowered his eyes. Just as he was about to say something, Gu Lin spoke first.

“We can go whenever you want. I can take you to see the ones used in this competition now, and in a few days, I’ll take you to see the military’s mechas.”

The military’s mechas were on a whole different level compared to the ones used by students in competitions.

Seeing the joy on Li Shu’s face, Gu Lin’s eyes softened. “I’ll take you to see them.”