Chi Zhuo lowered his gaze, letting his eyes rest for a long time on that hand that was still dripping blood.
The fingers trembled slightly from the pain—an instinctive reaction of the body—but Ji Chenxi himself still wore a calm, indifferent expression.
For a powerful alpha, not fearing pain seemed perfectly normal, but in the end, everyone was made of flesh and blood, not someone with a broken sense of pain—how could they not feel it?
“Liar.”
“Hm?” Chi Zhuo’s voice was so low and soft that Ji Chenxi almost thought he had misheard.
Chi Zhuo lifted the injured hand, carefully wiping away the blood and dirt clinging to it. He examined the wound that was still oozing blood, and a heavy, blocked feeling spread from his chest to his limbs. After gently wiping away the blood again, he asked, “Doesn’t it hurt?”
“A little, I guess. It’s not that painful.”
Chi Zhuo didn’t say anything else. He went to a vending robot not far away, bought a bottle of medical spray, and carefully sprayed it over Ji Chenxi’s hand.
During the process, Ji Chenxi let out a soft hiss. It hurt a bit. That faint sound of pain had barely escaped before he quickly pulled it back in. It was so fast that if Chi Zhuo hadn’t been standing right beside him, he probably wouldn’t have heard it.
“Didn’t Your Highness just say it didn’t hurt much?”
Ji Chenxi lowered his eyes to look at the wound on his hand, then hissed again softly. His eyelids drooped, and he looked a little listless. “I think it actually hurts quite a lot. I’m already in so much pain—Brother Chi Zhuo wouldn’t still scold me, right?”
Under the spray and cotton swabs, the blood on his hand was quickly cleaned away, and even the small shards of glass embedded in the flesh were carefully removed by Chi Zhuo.
The spray had some hemostatic effect. After the wound was treated carefully, what remained were just a few cuts from smashing the glass too hard.
Looking at that red and swollen hand covered in small wounds, the look in Chi Zhuo’s lowered eyes grew darker and harder to read. His fingers lightly brushed over the back of Ji Chenxi’s uninjured hand, and he said in a low voice, “I’m not scolding you. I’m just worried about you.”
Ji Chenxi fell silent for a moment, suddenly feeling a bit at a loss. Chi Zhuo’s attitude was too serious. Because of that seriousness, all those pretty, teasing words were hard to say. In the end, everything turned into a simple sentence: “I’m fine.”
Chi Zhuo brought the injured hand to his lips and gently kissed a spot that wasn’t hurt. The bitter taste of medicine passed through his lips and spread through his body. He calmly responded with a soft “Mm.”
Ji Chenxi was indeed fine. But in a completely sealed room, with an explosion like that—what if? What if Ji Chenxi had been even a few seconds slower getting out?
He had always made the best choice for himself in every danger, but it all seemed too painful. Being pierced in the gland by a sharp needle hurt. Smashing tough glass with bare hands hurt just as much. None of this was unavoidable. As long as he protected Ji Chenxi well enough… The sight of that bright red blood made him want to lock him away in his own fortress, raise high walls, and keep the noble little prince all to himself. But reason kept reminding him again and again—this was an alpha, not something he could keep as a possession.
“Chi Zhuo?” Ji Chenxi frowned as he looked at him. He could sense something was off about Chi Zhuo, but couldn’t pinpoint what. So he simply pulled his hand back and openly pulled the man into a hug. “I already said I’m fine.”
“You clearly aren’t. I didn’t protect my little alpha well.”
Little alpha?
Ji Chenxi couldn’t help but laugh. “Whose little alpha doesn’t face things alone and slowly grow up? It’s not like a parent can stay by their side for everything. A little alpha will grow up someday too.”
This was still the academy, and there had just been an explosion. The two of them hugging and being this close was way too eye-catching. Even if Chi Zhuo’s subordinates were trying to control the scene, there were bound to be a few eyes that saw them.
Ji Chenxi wasn’t unaware of what consequences this might bring, but he didn’t really care. It wasn’t anything he couldn’t deal with.
Queqi only heard about the explosion half an hour later. At that time, she was sitting in her room drinking black tea. When she heard, her brows knit tightly, and then she said, half helpless and half regretful, “He made a move.”
“This is earlier than I expected. It doesn’t match Chen Xing’s usual habits,” another male voice said.
“You know him well?”
“Not exactly. But since Chen Xing has chosen to act openly, hasn’t he contacted you?”
Queqi set down her cup, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Wangtu, don’t assume that just because I once pursued Chen Xing, I’ll definitely stand on his side.”
“But you really liked him back then. You even gave up benefits and paved the way for him.”
“He was the one who gave way for me first. At most, I just returned the favor. But I’ll admit, I did like him. After all, it’s hard for a confused teenage girl not to be moved when she meets someone who helps her so much and even changes her life.”
“Plus, he’s pretty good-looking?” The man laughed.
Queqi showed a hint of displeasure toward the person on the other side of the screen. “You’re being too blunt.”
After Wangtu toned down his laughter, Queqi continued, “Bai Wei isn’t planning to come to us.”
“It’s right that he doesn’t. You and Chen Xing are closer. Not contacting you is to avoid putting you in a difficult position. Besides, your power base isn’t even on the Imperial Star. As for me, same reason. No matter which side I take, I’m far away from the Imperial Star, and my influence isn’t there either. Even if I rush over nonstop, I won’t make it in time for their clash. And we’ve known each other for years—no matter how well we get along, it’s still not the same as his relationship with Chen Xing. Now that he can’t even trust Chen Xing, why would he disturb me? Not informing anyone and acting alone is the right move.”
“You and Chen Xing are the same. Neither of you value the bond we’ve built over the years.”
Wangtu could talk about everything lightly before because he didn’t really care—everything was just for fun, just for his own amusement. But hearing the omega’s seemingly calm yet lonely words, he still chose to comfort her. “Maybe it’s because when Chen Xing and I met you, we were already mature adults, while you two were still growing teenagers.”
“Then who do you think will win?”
“In the past, I’d say Chen Xing had a higher chance. The Cocoon’s influence is huge. Compared to a cocoon, I think they’re more like spiders—silent, and by the time you notice, their web has already spread everywhere. And his research is pretty interesting too. But now, I think Bai Wei shouldn’t be underestimated either.”
“Oh?”
“Don’t you know? The one by Bai Wei’s side is the Mamba—the uncrowned king of the underground world.”
*
“Crazy. Completely crazy.”
The young man looked a mess. As the second-in-command of Cocoon, he only answered to their boss. Even the third-in-command had no authority over him. Because he had a body he could switch out at any time, he had always acted boldly and freely. Very few people could make him look this miserable, let alone fear them. But recently, he had been targeted by a man, and everything had been going terribly. This time, even his chip had almost been completely destroyed.
They were both S-rank. He had even been implanted with countless combat techniques. So how was he still at a disadvantage in every clash?
Ge You couldn’t understand it, but he knew no one would come to retrieve his chip this time. If he got caught, the other party might destroy him completely.
The man moved lightly, sneaking forward. The furious lion, though injured, still dragged its battered body to watch the surroundings for him, acting as his strongest support.
The steady, rhythmic sound of footsteps rang out again. Every time before the other person appeared, there would be footsteps like this. Just hearing them made Ge You’s breathing grow heavier, filling him with tension.
He was afraid.
Ge You found it ridiculous, and he really did laugh.
The laughter would draw the other person in, but Ge You couldn’t care less anymore. The other side could always find him, yet each time left him a sliver of hope, letting him escape—only to find him again. This cycle had repeated too many times. His earlier mockery and disdain had turned into anxiety and anger. No one liked being the mouse in a cat-and-mouse game.
“How do you always find me? Don’t tell me you planted a tracker on me.”
As the footsteps got closer, the man revealed himself. He looked middle-aged, carrying a kind of mature charm. But just from his appearance, he seemed gentle and refined, not like a typical alpha at all—no aggression, restrained and ordinary, almost like a beta. Yet this very man had chased him all day, severely injured him, and even damaged his chip.
Another clash.
Ge You had thought the man would toy with him again, continuing the cat-and-mouse game. But this time, the man’s attacks were much more ruthless. It was clear he no longer intended to keep playing.
The danger pushed Ge You into another burst of strength. He used every method he had. The predator in the sky dove down, and even the strong lion had a large chunk of flesh torn away again. Through the pain in his spiritual force, Ge You also felt it. That bit of pain alone was enough to cost him his life.
Pinned to the ground, above him was a photon gun. It was gathering a powerful blast, aimed straight at his neck.
With a hit like that, the chip at the back of his neck would definitely be damaged too.
Ge You spat out a mouthful of blood and forced himself to ask, “What’s your name?”
“Your last words?” The man’s eyes curved slightly, smiling as if he were easy to talk to.
“At least I should know who killed me.”
“That’s not important.” The man spoke cold words with a smile.
They say when you’re about to die, you recall your life. Ge You’s life wasn’t that long, but not that short either. Yet at this moment, he suddenly thought of the first person he ever killed.
“Then let me introduce myself. I’m Ge You.”
The smile on the man’s face faded. “Hua Yao. My name is Hua Yao. If you remember, it might sound familiar.”
Ge You’s eyelids twitched slightly. The name did sound a bit familiar.
Noticing that, Hua Yao kindly explained, “Ge You was my friend. You stole his name. Even that lion spirit of yours is copied from his.”
“So you’ve been mentally torturing me because you’re angry.”
“No. It’s just disgusting. I originally wanted to play for a few more days…”
The rest of his words blurred out. With a gunshot, Ge You’s consciousness completely faded.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
