“01, I’ll make a list. Go buy it for me.”

Rong Shi’s face was pale. He held Song Yu’s arm, not letting him move.

01: “Mission accomplished, guaranteed!”

Song Yu panted, unable to calm down, the restlessness in his body threatening to overwhelm his reason at any moment.

He said irritably: “My inhibitors are specialized.”

Rong Shi: “Where can I get them?”

Song Yu: “My people are nearby.”

Rong Shi instantly understood. He tilted his head to 01: “After you buy the items, go to the designated location to pick up the inhibitors.”

01 slowly spun in a circle. Its round metal casing activated camouflage mode, gradually becoming invisible.

“Received!”

Less than three minutes later, the curtains by the French windows billowed with a gust of wind, and 01’s form became visible.

It placed the bought medicine and food into Rong Shi’s hand, then zipped away with a whoosh.

[Master, take your time, hehehe.]

Rong Shi: “…”

Since just now, Song Yu had been sitting silently on the sofa.

He would occasionally sneak a glance at Rong Shi, then immediately turn away in a huff.

Rong Shi pretended not to notice. He sat beside him, took out alcohol wipes and waterproof bandages, carefully checked that the packaging was intact before opening them.

When he pulled Song Yu’s hand, it was swatted away.

Song Yu rested his chin on his hand, his face impatient: “It’s just a small cut. It’ll heal on its own; no need to bother with it.”

Rong Shi pulled his hand back again: “But I want it to heal immediately.”

As the alcohol wiped the edge of the wound, Rong Shi felt Song Yu’s arm flinch slightly, then quickly relax.

After a moment’s thought, Rong Shi leaned down and gently blew on the wound, cleaning it as he blew.

Song Yu’s gaze unconsciously fell on Rong Shi’s smooth black hair.

His fingers twitched, then retracted into his palm.

“Does wiping it like this hurt?”

Thinking he had hurt him, Rong Shi’s touch became even lighter.

Having suffered too many injuries, big and small, Rong Shi had long become numb to pain. He didn’t know how much pain was considered painful for an ordinary person.

Song Yu’s heart swelled with appreciation, though he grumbled verbally.

“Do you think I’m made of tofu dregs?”

Rong Shi worked quickly. Disinfecting, applying medicine, and bandaging took no more than five minutes.

Song Yu watched him release his hand, then slowly drew it back, feeling a little disappointed.

Why wrap it so fast? No one’s rushing you!

He saw Rong Shi finishing up and taking something else from the bag.

Song Yu: “Is there any other procedure left?”

Rong Shi took out a food box and opened it.

“You drank so much last night and ate nothing. Aren’t you hungry?”

Song Yu curiously peeked into the box. It was a mille-feuille cake!

It had cream, mango, strawberries, cherries, and blueberries!

His stomach immediately rumbled, betraying him.

Rong Shi scooped a small piece with a spoon and, under Song Cat’s eager gaze, put it into his own mouth.

“Too sweet,” he commented, frowning.

Song Yu: “…”

Song Yu: “Are you intentionally trying to piss me off—”

His surging anger was interrupted by a spoon being held up to his eyes.

Rong Shi: “I heard that eating sweets makes one feel better. Want to try?”

Song Yu’s eyes flickered, then he heard Rong Shi continue: “Disgusted by my used spoon? Then I’ll get a new one.”

Watching the spoon that was at his mouth being withdrawn, Song Yu grabbed Rong Shi’s wrist and opened his mouth to eat the full spoon of cake.

Rong Shi: “Is it good?”

Song Yu’s mood visibly improved.

“Haven’t you eaten it?”

Rong Shi scooped another spoonful and fed it to him, half-truthfully saying: “I was too busy tasting it for poison for you, so I didn’t savor it.”

Song Yu turned sideways, one leg bent, sitting casually, and ate the cake offered to his mouth: “Then you won’t have a chance to taste it.”

Rong Shi: “…”

A three-person cake mostly ended up in Song Yu’s stomach. Rong Shi was worried he would eat too much and upset his stomach. He tried to take a few bites, but was warned by a glare.

Song Yu leaned against the sofa, letting out a long sigh.

“So full.”

His lips suddenly felt warm. Song Yu tilted his head, just in time to see Rong Shi putting his retracted hand to his mouth, his tongue licking his thumb.

“You had cream on the corner of your mouth.”

Song Yu: “…”

Was this dead rabbit too confident in his own self-control, or in his?

His breathing was still unsteady, and Rong Shi could feel Song Yu desperately trying to control his emotions.

“Come closer,” Rong Shi beckoned to him.

Song Yu: “What for?”

Rong Shi: “Aren’t you full? I’ll rub your stomach, a special service for your rut, free of charge.”

Song Yu scoffed: “…Who cares?”

A minute later, Song Yu was nestled in Rong Shi’s arms.

The pressure on his stomach was just right, very comfortable, lulling him into drowsiness.

Song Yu’s voice was lazy: “Just don’t suddenly release your pheromones. I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself and might hit you.”

Rong Shi: “…”

Pheromone repulsion between Alphas was inherent, especially during rut, when territorial instincts were particularly strong. However—

Song Yu continued: “Or maybe you can release just a little bit for me to smell? I’ve never smelled your pheromones.”

Rong Shi: “…You’ll know later.”

He had just managed to soothe the little cat; he didn’t want him to get agitated again because of his pheromones.

It was just a casual mention, and Song Yu didn’t press. Looking at the night outside the window, he confessed: “The last Omega’s pheromones, they smelled a bit nice.”

Telling the person he liked that another Omega’s pheromones smelled nice, Song Yu felt he was probably beyond help.

But he didn’t want to lie to Rong Shi.

“That was He Nian’s,” Rong Shi said calmly, though his lowered eyes obscured his emotions.

Song Yu found this result not surprising in the slightest.

“I don’t like him.”

Rong Shi: “Mm.”

Rong Shi: “I know.”

Song Yu scoffed, his voice chilling: “Even if he removed his scent gland, I wouldn’t be controlled by someone like him.”

Rong Shi’s grip on his hand tightened.

“Never self-harm. I will protect you.”

---

In the small mountain forest outside Qin Zhao’s mansion, two beta men in black were fumbling in the dark, searching for something.

The tall, thin beta quietly asked: “Are you sure you heard correctly? We’re supposed to find a pot here?”

The dark-skinned beta: “Definitely a pot! And a flower-shaped pot. We absolutely have to put His Highness’s inhibitors in the pot.”

The tall, thin beta looked doubtful. He walked a few steps forward, then his eyes were suddenly stung.

He focused his gaze and, indeed, there was a f***ing flower-shaped pot on the ground!

The dark-skinned beta tried to put the inhibitors into the pot. The tall, thin beta stared at it, observing: “Then what?”

The dark-skinned beta shook his head: “Don’t know. The boss didn’t say.”

Just as the two were about to leave, the flower pot suddenly took flight, disappearing from sight in a second.

The tall, thin beta: “…”

The dark-skinned beta: “…”

Was he dreaming just now, damn it?

01 happily returned to the guest room, holding out two inhibitors to Rong Shi.

“Already tested, no problem.”

Rong Shi took them, injecting one into Song Yu’s arm.

“There’s still a little time before dawn. You’ll be fine after a sleep.”

Having sweated too much earlier, Song Yu felt sticky all over. Rong Shi pulled him up: “Go take a shower.”

Rationally, Song Yu wanted to go, but emotionally, he didn’t want to leave Rong Shi’s embrace for a second.

If he dragged it out any longer, it would be dawn. Rong Shi forcibly peeled the little Song Cat, who was almost asleep and limp, off himself and led him to the bathroom.

He pulled a chair and placed it at the bathroom door. Rong Shi sat with his back to the bathroom: “I’ll wait for you here.”

Song Yu tilted his head to look at the showerhead, then at Rong Shi. After calculating the distance, he reluctantly agreed.

The sound of water splashing echoed, and the little cat didn’t even bother to close the door.

To avoid thinking about irrelevant things, Rong Shi sorted through clues as he spoke: “This banquet was a trap to lure you in.”

First, they induced his rut, then arranged for He Nian to approach, and also positioned over a dozen Omegas in the shadows, ready to step in at any time, ensuring Song Yu would be attracted to one of them, thereby initiating the next stage of their plan.

The new drug Rong Shi heard about outside the window last night, he originally thought it was an injection like SYT7737, but perhaps he was wrong.

Song Yu rubbed the foam, his gaze never leaving Rong Shi’s back, forcing himself to recall everything repeatedly.

“When I came over, I smelled magnolia.”

A whole row of magnolias was planted along the road outside Qin Zhao’s mansion. Even if one was usually vigilant, it would be difficult to realize that the scent might have more than one source.

The situation on Imperial Capital Star was too dangerous for Song Yu. Some people wanted him dead, others wanted to control him. One misstep could lead to utter ruin.

If he wasn’t ruthless, he wouldn’t survive.

---

01 suddenly floated over.

“He Nian went to see Lin Jing!”

“Enable shared vision,” Rong Shi pressed its head, twisting it 180 degrees. “No peeking.”

01: “…”

Several virtual windows popped open in front of Rong Shi. He Nian and Lin Jing appeared in one of the frames.

Inside the basement, He Nian’s voice was deep: “Didn’t get him. Rong Shi messed it up.”

Lin Jing checked the surveillance footage of the corridor outside the seventh floor, seeing Rong Shi leave about an hour after helping Song Yu into the room.

“Was your identity discovered?”

He Nian recalled seeing Rong Shi at the time.

Although Rong Shi seemed very unhappy, from his expression and words, it could be fully judged that he was only angry about his alleged role as a homewrecker.

“Probably not. If he had found out, his attitude wouldn’t have been like that.”

Lin Jing repeatedly played the surveillance footage of Rong Shi returning and seeing He Nian.

No matter how many times it was played, Rong Shi’s reaction was merely jealousy.

Lin Jing pressed pause, his eyes sinister.

“If he’s exposed, we’ll take him out too.”

He Nian’s eyes widened slightly: “Are you talking about Rong Shi?”

Lin Jing looked at the screen and smiled: “What else? Since that old man Qian Li has taken a liking to him, getting rid of him early might mean one less rival.”

Thump!

A sound of something falling echoed from the bathroom.

Rong Shi was startled and immediately turned to look.

Song Yu was wrapped in a bathrobe, his collar loosely open, water dripping from his hair onto his collarbone, sliding down his muscles.

He looked at the virtual screen, his eyes cold.

“Calm down,” Rong Shi took a towel and dried his hair. “This is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s not time to act yet.”

Song Yu looked up at him, his presence intimidating: “Tip of the iceberg?”

Rong Shi: “Mm.”

He had always known He Nian was problematic, but he hadn’t expected him to be in cahoots with Lin Jing.

The rabbit mark on the tree in the mountains—did that mean his father had also been here?

From the current clues, the rabbit mark only appeared in two places: the other was on satellite A08, where an ant colony laboratory was located.

Could it be that Lin Jing was connected to that laboratory on A08?

Did he go to A08? Was he modified in the ant colony laboratory? Why would his father know? Did they know each other? What role did his father play in all of this?

Rong Shi had too many questions.

But at present, all those questions paled in comparison to Song Yu’s safety.

The most important thing now was to get him out of this situation unscathed.

After getting back into bed, Song Yu suddenly remembered something.

“I smelled the Omega’s pheromones of the person who broke in tonight before.”

“Omega?” Rong Shi wrapped him completely in the blanket, holding both him and the blanket tightly. “He wasn’t a Beta?”

Song Yu shifted closer to him.

“No, I’m sure I smelled pheromones.”

During rut, in addition to being mentally sensitive, one’s ability to detect pheromones also reached its peak.

Rong Shi didn’t doubt Song Yu’s judgment, but he was surprised by the result.

That person, if he hadn’t misidentified him, was Jiang Huai.

Long, steady breaths gradually emanated from his arms, but Rong Shi couldn’t fall asleep.

He summoned 01 to buy materials on the black market.

01: [Are you buying nanometals to make me an auxiliary equipment?]

Rong Shi: [To make you a little brother.]

01: [??]

01: [I don’t have a wife, so I don’t need a little brother.]

Rong Shi: […Not that kind of little brother.]

---

The next day, they woke up close to noon.

Rong Shi was still half-asleep, confused, when the warm little cat in his arms was gone.

Song Yu stood in front of the wardrobe, pulling out a shirt and putting it on. Seeing Rong Shi awake, he buttoned his shirt while looking over.

“Get up when you’re awake.”

Rong Shi observed his expression and asked in a low voice: “Calmed down?”

“Mm,” Song Yu scoffed. “Thanks to someone’s cake, this rut retreated especially quickly.”

Rong Shi: “…”

Song Yu was refreshed, humming a tune, and in a pleasant mood.

“Xiao Yu.”

“What?”

Song Yu heard the voice and subconsciously tilted his head. He was suddenly pressed down, and his lips felt warm.

Rong Shi lightly bit his lip, then released him, chuckling softly.

“Using and then discarding isn’t a good habit.”

---

Author’s Note:

01: After spending a long time with Master, I’ve changed color. [Obediently]

Rong Bunny: Nonsense, you were always yellow.

Song Cat: What to do, my husband is colorblind.