In order to take off his glasses, Xin Hexue leaned in very close. As he spoke, if either of them had moved just a little closer, their lips would have touched.
Amid the translucent rising steam, aside from the faint sulfur scent from the hot spring water, there was also the smell of pheromones silently released by the Alpha, an aggressive, overpowering musk that seeped into every corner, enclosing the young man completely.
But the Beta remained completely unaware.
Betas didn’t have glands, so he had no idea the Alpha’s pheromones were growing stronger and stronger, almost as if they were screaming to mark him.
But it was all in vain. No matter how madly one marked, every trace of the scent would be washed away in the bathwater and no outsider would ever know whether the Beta had a partner.
A Beta was always free, always outside the hormonal impulses of Alphas and Omegas. Only love could willingly bind a Beta.
Even though he knew this truth clearly, Xi Zhengqing still couldn’t help but release his pheromones, which was a courtship behavior engraved in Alpha genes.
But now, facing Xin Hexue, this musk pheromone felt more like a wild and vulgar animalistic delusion, caught between humanity and animal instinct.
Xi Zhengqing wanted to hold Xin Hexue’s hand. After a moment of hesitation, he grasped the young man’s wrist with his large hand.
The delicate texture of the young man’s skin pressed tightly against his palm.
Warm and damp.
Xin Hexue looked up and pretended to be confused. “Zhengqing, what’s wrong? Your ears are so red. Are you feeling unwell? Are you not used to the hot spring and feel a bit dizzy?”
The words that had made it to Xi Zhengqing’s lips circled twice between his teeth, and when he met Xin Hexue’s clear eyes, he swallowed them back down.
It wasn’t the right time.
Xi Zhengqing still wanted to maintain some semblance of composure in front of Xin Hexue. During this period, he had to carefully navigate the distance between friends.
Even if, whenever he faced Xin Hexue, he turned into a dog in heat, with his body running ahead while his mind chased after it from behind, a far cry from the poised heir of the Xi family who frequented boardrooms, the House of Lords, and charity galas.
Xi Zhengqing was gradually becoming unlike himself.
He released Xin Hexue’s wrist and took back his glasses.
Xi Zhengqing: “I’m fine. I just had lamb hotpot with my family last night, which replenished my blood and qi too much. The hot spring’s making me a bit uncomfortable. Do you want some fruit? I’ll go get some for you.”
He stood and stepped out of the hot spring pool, water dripping off his body.
Unlike the refined businessman image in suits, Xi Zhengqing was actually muscular and powerful. His strong Alpha body was full of explosive energy, like a wolf ready to pounce. He wasn’t overly bulky, but he had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a well-defined eight-pack.
Fortunately, there was K. Otherwise, with the difference in body size and physical strength, Xi Zhengqing would have torn Xin Hexue apart during a rut period.
Thinking this, Xin Hexue said to K: [The mechanical parts on his body are waterproof?]
The Xi family’s most advanced technology was already enough to produce bionic skin. Aside from the core material, its texture and surface were indistinguishable from human skin.
But Xi Zhengqing had clearly chosen not to fully cover his mechanically modified chest with bionic skin. He had deliberately left part of the transformation exposed.
On the serratus anterior muscle on the outside of his chest cavity were blue-purple lines and mechanical structures, with faint electric currents visible underneath.
Xin Hexue leaned on the edge of the pool, his hands folded, lying on his stomach as he asked Xi Zhengqing, “Are you really okay?”
The question clearly carried another meaning.
Xi Zhengqing put on his bathrobe and replied with a solemn face, “I’m fine.”
The guest room robot brought over fresh fruit. Xi Zhengqing placed the fruit platter by the hot spring pool, glanced at his communicator, and said, “Zuo Yongyan might be arriving soon. I’ll go out to meet him.”
Xin Hexue nodded, “Alright.”
After Xi Zhengqing left, Xin Hexue adjusted his position and leaned back against the wall of the hot spring pool, completely relaxed. The water had special therapeutic herbal packets added, giving off a faint herbal scent. The waves were lapping, and the faint buoyancy supported his body upward.
Xin Hexue closed his eyes to rest.
With his eyes closed, he didn’t notice that from the gaps in the bamboo fence, the tentacles of a marine creature silently slipped into the courtyard.
Like a flexible, winding snake, it slid along the pebble path, flicked its tail, then slithered down the stone wall into the warm spring water.
Once it touched the water, the tentacle expanded slightly in size.
Even though it had been electrocuted by a hundred thousand volts in the bathtub last time and had spent a long time soaking in recovery fluid to heal, the two tentacles still refused to answer the main brain’s interrogation and guarded the secret strictly.
Even when coming here today, they had remembered to sever the information flow between the peripheral nervous system and the central nervous system, blocking off the main brain unilaterally.
The two tentacles tangled and wrestled at the bottom of the spring, and after one emerged victorious, it swam forward.
Xin Hexue was already drowsy in the hot spring, dozing off with his eyes closed. His body slowly slid down with the waves, the water rose over his shoulders, gently stopping at his chin and dampening the tips of his dark hair.
Suddenly, a cold, sticky, and strange sensation coiled around his waist. It brushed over his smooth skin with a teasing touch like a kiss. As it rubbed, the thin skin turned red and flushed from the heat.
The color resembled the thin skin of a ripe peach full of juice.
Because this strange sensation was completely different from the warm touch of the spring water, Xin Hexue was instantly alert.
He abruptly opened his eyes. “Who?!”
The hot spring appeared perfectly calm, with no waves or disturbances. But the cold feeling around his waist still seemed to linger.
White mist steamed around, and the condensed vapor clung to Xin Hexue’s eyelashes.
An inexplicable sense of crisis rose in him. His intuition was rarely wrong, so Xin Hexue decided not to stay any longer.
He stepped out of the hot spring pool.
Ty snow-white body was dripping wet, and apart from a large area of white, there were also patches of pink.
Xin Hexue quickly wrapped himself in a dry bathrobe. He moved forward, intending to leave the courtyard and return to the inner room. But he stood up from the pool all of a sudden and the feeling of floating in the water followed him like a shadow. It seemed his body hadn’t adjusted after soaking for too long.
Flashes like fireworks burst before his eyes, and in a moment of disorientation, he stepped on something and the world spun.
He silently cursed.
But the expected pain of falling to the ground never came.
It was like landing on a soft jelly.
Xin Hexue lost consciousness for nearly a minute on the ground. When he got up, there was nothing on the floor but wet footprints from the hot spring, making him doubt the sensation he had just felt when he fell.
Was it just his imagination?
He could only walk quickly toward the inner room. Once inside, he firmly shut the floor-to-ceiling glass door.
In a hidden corner of the courtyard…
“…&￥％#＠&…&＊”
—My wife stepped on me, I’m so happy, Zhang Sheng deserves it.
………
Xin Hexue left the room and stood in the main hall.
He frowned and asked K: [What was that just now?]
K had seen almost the entire thing and answered truthfully: [Two tentacles, possibly the same ones from last time.]
‘Another mutant species?’
Due to limited information in the script, Xin Hexue couldn’t understand why there would be mutant species in District One. According to the news, the large-scale base of mutant species should be in the outskirts beyond District Twelve, which was far from District One.
But in just a short period of time, he had already encountered two mutant species, and in the Pei family’s core zone no less.
Had he missed something?
Xin Hexue crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, lowering his eyes in thought.
Afterward, he changed into the clothes he had brought with him, which was a thick hoodie with a sky-blue color, making him look like an exceptionally youthful and handsome university student.
Suddenly, there was a burst of noise and chaos, accompanied by a rush of footsteps.
There were chaotic shutter clicks, and the camera lenses were nearly pressed against Xin Hexue’s face.
The paparazzi swarmed in, pushing and shoving, stuffing recording mics in front of him as they asked in a flurry:
“Hello, what is your relationship with Young Master Xi, the heir to Nuwa Bionic Manufacturing Company?”
“Someone saw you and Young Master Xi entering and exiting the same room. Is that true?”
“Have you two reached a relationship beyond friendship? Oh, you seem to be a Beta. Mr. Xi Zhengqing has famously maintained his integrity for years, could it be related to a special preference for Betas? Can you reveal a bit about it?”
This was about the famous Xi family of the Federation and contained explosive potential. The reporters fired off questions one after another, bombarding him without leaving out a single detail that might make tomorrow’s front page.
The flashes were chaotic and somewhat blinding.
Xin Hexue raised his hand, lowered his head and shielded his eyes with the back of his hand.
“We’re just friends. As for the other questions, I’m sorry…”
There were too many people and the air circulation was poor. After soaking in the hot spring, Xin Hexue didn’t feel well and he started to cough.
With each tight, rapid cough, his face turned as pale as snow, and the force of his coughing made his shoulders tremble.
Shiny black leather shoes struck the marble floor with rushed footsteps.
Xi Zhengqing arrived, his face stern and cold. “Security, escort these people out.”
The Alpha’s expression was terrifyingly cold. He supported Xin Hexue, letting his face rest against his chest and shoulder. Facing the group of reporters, each word Xi Zhengqing spoke was soaked with chill, as if his throat was forged in ice.
“Who let you in? Regardless, please don’t disturb my friend.”
“Jiajin News and Hua’ali News? I will contact your supervisors later.”
The noisy main hall quieted down once more.
The resort manager quickly came forward to apologize to Xi Zhengqing and promised that from now on, every time Xi Zhengqing and his friend visited, they would enjoy Black Gold membership privileges.
The compensation included lifetime free membership to the archery club.
To the Xi family, who already owned numerous resorts and high-end private clubs, this was completely insignificant.
Xi Zhengqing casually dismissed the resort manager.
He sat on the sofa with Xin Hexue, handing him a cup of tea to moisten his lips. “Are you feeling better?”
Xin Hexue lowered his lashes. His pale lips took on a more vivid color after being moistened by the warm tea.
Xi Zhengqing’s throat tightened.
Xin Hexue explained softly, “There were too many people just now. I felt unwell.”
“I’m sorry, it’s all my fault,” Xi Zhengqing apologized sincerely. “I didn’t expect them to maliciously speculate about our friendship and cause you trouble.”
Xin Hexue shook his head. “This isn’t your fault. Like you said earlier, some unethical media like to make groundless accusations.”
After speaking, he coughed twice more.
Xi Zhengqing knew he had social anxiety. Suddenly becoming the center of attention might have triggered a panic reaction.
He just hadn’t expected Xin Hexue’s reaction to be so severe. Xi Zhengqing used a tissue to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and asked with concern, “Do you want to go back to your room and take a nap first? I’ll wake you up at lunchtime.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Xin Hexue caught a glimpse of a blond Alpha’s back flickering past in the hallway.
In response to Xi Zhengqing’s thoughtful question, Xin Hexue nodded.
He didn’t let Xi Zhengqing walk him back to his room.
When he turned into the hallway…
Xin Hexue met the blond Alpha. He was wearing a washed-black leather jacket with a worn-in texture. His sunglasses hung at the half-open collar, his demeanor unrestrained.
Qiu Yuan was clearly waiting for him on purpose.
Even though Xin Hexue had already recognized his identity, he pretended to be face-blind and unaware. As they were about to pass each other…
Qiu Yuan spoke. “The security at the resort isn’t just for show. Not to mention, the heir of the Zuo family, one of the media giants, is also here today. If they don’t want to lose their jobs, those reporters wouldn’t dare court death.”
Xin Hexue glanced at him.
Qiu Yuan met his gaze. His eyes were a deep-sea blue, his brows slightly raised, and he said with interest, “They were arranged by Xi Zhengqing.”
“I’m guessing it was to stage a hero-rescues-the-beauty act… Oh, I saw the whole thing. Maybe I should charge that childhood friend an entry fee.”
Xin Hexue kept his distance and asked, “What exactly are you trying to say?”
Qiu Yuan sized up the Beta in front of him. His looks indeed had the charm to have both Pei Guangji and Xi Zhengqing wrapped around his finger.
He knew that even without saying it, the other party must have guessed most of it. After all, during the archery session, the young man looked brilliantly sharp.
But just now, he had played the part of a delicate, easily-bullied person.
Clearly, he could hit the bullseye with ease. That night at the Pei manor, he had completely taken control, straddling the bionic man and coldly issuing commands.
But his body did seem weak as he passed out with just three fingers.
“You don’t like Xi Zhengqing?” Qiu Yuan circled around Xin Hexue. “I just wanted to say, if you don’t like him either, then we might be friends with a shared interest.”
He was very curious about the young man before him.
‘Xin Hexue…’
‘What exactly was he trying to do?’
Suddenly, Qiu Yuan froze, as if nailed to the spot.
Why did the young man smell like him?!
