“Chi Yao?”

When he didn’t answer, Jing Xi looked up.

Chi Yao looked into his eyes and asked expressionlessly, “Do you really want to continue?”

Jing Xi nodded.

Chi Yao patted his shoulder. “Then sit up properly first.”

“Sit?”

Jing Xi didn’t understand, but he did as he was told.

The furnace on top of him finally moved away, and Chi Yao breathed a sigh of relief. He rolled out of bed and saw from the corner of his eye that Jing Xi was sitting obediently, his gaze fixed on him like a clingy kitten.

“You wait. I’m going to take a shower first.”

After speaking, Chi Yao strode toward the bathroom, preparing to slip away. Just as he reached the bathroom door, a sudden gust of wind rushed past his ear. Chi Yao instinctively dodged to the side, only to be slammed against the door by Jing Xi, who had pounced on him.

“I need to wash up too.” Jing Xi braced one hand against the wall, preventing him from escaping. “Together?”

Chi Yao was speechless.

Ordinarily, there would be nothing wrong with two alphas showering together. After all, they had the same parts, and neither would be at a disadvantage. But Jing Xi was currently in a state where he was easily impulsive, and Chi Yao wasn’t exactly calm either under the influence of Jing Xi’s pheromones. If the two of them really showered together, they might end up fighting fiercely. Although he found Jing Xi’s pheromones pleasant, and Jing Xi didn’t seem to dislike his, the mutual repulsion of pheromones between alphas was instinctual. If their rationality burned away, they might be unable to resist attacking each other.

“Then you can use this bathroom. I’ll go to the one across the hall.” Chi Yao grabbed his wrist, pushed him away, and turned to leave.

Before he could take a single step, Jing Xi hugged him from behind again.

“Hey.” Just as Chi Yao was about to pull his hands away, a sudden weight settled on his shoulder.

“Yao Yao—” Jing Xi rested his forehead on his shoulder. “Do you hate being with me?”

Chi Yao froze, and his heart traitorously began to race. This kid usually wore a face that suggested he had renounced all love and passion. Who knew he could be so coquettish during his susceptibility period?

Chi Yao sighed softly, pulled his hands away, and turned around, only to see Jing Xi’s eyes starting to redden again.

“Then I won’t shower.” Chi Yao gently wiped the corner of his eye. “Remember to pay my fee. If you delay any longer, I’m going to start charging interest.”

“Okay,” Jing Xi said.

Chi Yao scoffed, dragging this big kitten back to the bedroom. “You agree so readily, but where’s the payment?”

“What are you going to do with so many photos?” Jing Xi asked.

“Look at them,” Chi Yao replied.

Jing Xi looked at him. “Can’t you just look at me directly?”

Without thinking, Chi Yao instinctively retorted, “Photos can be used for some… comfortable things.”

After he said it, he snapped back to his senses and turned to look at Jing Xi, whose eyes were shining. He was looking at him like a piece of meat on a cutting board.

Chi Yao was speechless. That was reckless.

Normally, Jing Xi might have gotten angry hearing that, but now—

Jing Xi loosened his collar with one hand and slowly leaned in. “What comfortable thing can’t you do with me?”

Chi Yao was speechless again. As expected. He stopped the other’s hand as it unbuttoned his shirt, completely at a loss. Are all alphas this irrational during their susceptibility period?

He couldn’t sleep, mainly because Jing Xi refused to. He couldn’t leave either. Chi Yao leaned against the sofa and started to work, with Jing Xi sitting right next to him, not going anywhere. Chi Yao told his AI, Xiao Hei, to turn on the air purification system to filter the pheromones. He opened his terminal to check the reports from his subordinates. It was all routine business. Chi Yao replied to messages while casually chatting with Jing Xi.

“Will the results of this election affect the Jing family?”

The Jing family had produced commanders in previous generations, but starting from Jing Rong’s father’s generation, they had gradually moved away from that circle of power. In terms of military rank, Jing Rong was a general, but he was a civil official with no real power.

“No.” Jing Xi bent one leg and watched him work. “Our family doesn’t take sides. No matter who comes to power, Grandpa can take care of the Jing family.”

This was expected. Besides their military and political background, the Jing family was one of the few great noble families that remained. It was said they had made significant contributions during the founding of the nation. Unless a descendant committed a major transgression, this honor would continue with the family.

“What about your father?” Chi Yao asked casually. “I haven’t heard you mention him.”

The information he’d investigated before showed that Jing Xi’s father, Jing Shen, was a colonel and the former deputy commander of the Xuanwu Legion, but he had died in battle twenty-one years ago. He had casually looked up Jing Shen’s information but found no more details about that final expedition.

“He died for his ideals,” Jing Xi said in a low voice. “I have very few memories of him.”

After sending a reply, Chi Yao turned his head to look at him. “Killed fighting mutated beasts?”

Jing Xi shook his head. “On their return journey from an expedition, they encountered a cosmic storm. The entire legion was lost.”

Chi Yao was stunned. “There was no advance warning?”

Even third-rate star pirate crews had warning systems for cosmic storms, let alone a military legion.

Jing Xi stared at the cup on the low table. “I heard from my grandfather that the legion first encountered a magnetic storm and then ran into a major storm that occurs once in a century. It’s possible that by the time they detected it, they were already within the storm’s range.”

Such a major incident… why had no one ever mentioned it? Was it suppressed by the military’s high command?

“What about your father?” Jing Xi’s gaze fell on Chi Yao.

Chi Yao came back to his senses, smiled, and continued replying to his subordinate’s message. “I don’t even have a household registration. What do you think?”

Jing Xi was silent for a moment, then quietly hooked a finger around the corner of his clothing. “The commander of the Xuanwu Legion back then was my father’s old partner. His surname was Bo.”

The smile on Chi Yao’s lips froze, and his eyes narrowed slightly. “So?”

Jing Xi continued, “His partner was the deputy director of the military’s logistics and rescue department. That war happened to require supply reinforcements, and he delivered them personally.”

Chi Yao tilted his head, looking at him searchingly. “Why bring up these two people all of a sudden?”

Jing Xi looked directly into his eyes. “Do you want to know more about them?”

Chi Yao’s hands, resting on his lap, tightened. A moment later, he scoffed, “No.”

He said that, but he couldn’t just pretend he hadn’t heard. He didn’t think Jing Xi would bring up two completely unrelated people for no reason. But who were they? And what did they have to do with him? Thinking of a certain possibility, Chi Yao himself found it absurd.

His mind was racing with uncontrollable thoughts when he suddenly felt warmth on his face and heard Jing Xi’s deep, pleasant voice in his ear.

“Household registration doesn’t mean anything. You are not without anything.”

The small bit of unease in his heart was soothed. Chi Yao looked at Jing Xi, who was right in front of him, and found it incredible. Why could this person always read his emotions so easily?

Chi Yao asked, “Are you comforting me?”

Jing Xi nodded.

“But that’s no reason for you to steal a kiss.”

Jing Xi said nothing.

“Ten photos per kiss. I’ll put it on your tab—” Seeing Jing Xi frown, Chi Yao smiled. “You thought I was going to say that?”

Before Jing Xi could understand what he meant, he was pulled into an embrace, and a sudden warmth pressed against his lips.

Chi Yao bit him as if to vent his frustration. “Given your bad habit of not paying your debts, I can only kiss you back.”

He ignited the sparks in the air, and they instantly burst into flame. Jing Xi winced in pain, drew in a small breath, and bit back.

Chi Yao hadn’t originally planned to make a move on Jing Xi during his susceptibility period. Taking advantage of him when he couldn’t resist would be too low. But he couldn’t resist Jing Xi being so alluring. The first wet dream of his life, and it had been about Jing Xi. If he kept holding back, Jing Xi would be fine, but he would die of frustration first.

A few minutes later, Chi Yao pushed him away, wiping his stinging lower lip. “Were you born in the year of the dog? Why do you bite so hard?”

Jing Xi sat on his lap, breathing lightly, his eyes sweeping over the bite mark on his lip. “Didn’t you bite me too?”

Chi Yao scoffed, “So you’re allowed to bite me, but I’m not allowed to bite back?”

Jing Xi looked at him expressionlessly. “I’m inexperienced, but don’t you have a bunch of illegitimate children? Why are your kissing skills so lousy?”

Chi Yao was speechless. Lousy? Meeting Jing Xi’s serious gaze, he laughed in exasperation. “Where the hell did I get a bunch of illegitimate children?”

“Then you must have a bunch of lovers, right?”

Chi Yao was speechless again. Why was everything measured in ‘bunches’? What kind of image did he have in Jing Xi’s eyes?

Jing Xi pressed on, “Yu Yi should be good at it. Didn’t he teach you?”

Chi Yao thought, Did he need that kid to teach him?

“What about the person who sent ‘Love you~’? You haven’t exchanged experiences with him?”

Chi Yao was at a complete loss for words. Why would he exchange kissing experiences with an old man?

After his questioning, Jing Xi came to a conclusion: “Are you taking advantage of my ignorance?”

Chi Yao could only stare. If he said that he, too, was inexperienced, Jing Xi probably wouldn’t believe him, right?

A full day was a full day. In a safe, non-threatening environment, Jing Xi lazily clung to Chi Yao’s side, getting through the day his symptoms were most severe.

At night, after Jing Xi fell asleep, Chi Yao leaned against the headboard and sent a message to someone named Chun Qin. Before long, his terminal vibrated with a reply.

[Based on your description, it’s likely a lack of security caused by the susceptibility period. However, for the contrast with his usual self to be so stark, it’s also possible he has past trauma in this area, like losing an important person or object. His usual emotions are suppressed, and they erupt during the susceptibility period.]

Chi Yao read it twice carefully, then replied, [Is there a way to treat it?]

Chun Qin: [Psychological counseling is the main approach, supplemented by medication. If you can find the root cause, treating the source of the problem is best.]

Chi Yao stroked Jing Xi’s head, lost in thought. Losing his parents as a child, then losing his best friend—that was probably the source. The Major General, who appeared so glorious on the surface, was actually just as lonely as him inside.

The next day, when Chi Yao woke up, the furnace by his side was already gone. He looked at the time; it wasn’t even seven o’clock.

“Jing Xi?” Chi Yao went out to look for him and saw his back in the kitchen. Even from a distance, he could sense the other’s helplessness.

“What kind of disaster cooking are you up to now?”

Jing Xi had just finished brewing coffee. Hearing Chi Yao’s voice, he turned his head to look. “So early?” he asked. He actually didn’t cling to him.

“Calmed down?” Chi Yao asked.

Jing Xi gave a faint “mm” and continued slicing a tomato. “The symptoms will start to lessen today. I can control it.”

“Oh.”

Chi Yao leaned against the doorframe, replying casually. Thinking about yesterday, the warm touch on his lips seemed to linger.

Jing Xi was distracted for a moment and cut his finger with the knife. He snapped back to reality, pressing on the wound.

“Let me see.” Chi Yao went over and pulled his hand to inspect it. A deep, one-centimeter cut appeared on his elegant index finger. Blood slid down his finger into his palm.

Chi Yao frowned. “I’ve never even seen you get hurt cutting up beasts. Is a tomato more terrifying than a beast?”

“I was distracted.” Jing Xi tried to pull his hand back, but Chi Yao held it firmly.

“You really are a handful.” With that, Chi Yao raised his hand to his lips.

“You don’t have to—” Jing Xi couldn’t stop him in time and watched as Chi Yao took his finger into his mouth. His eyes flickered, and he said in a low voice, “Yesterday—thank you.”

Chi Yao’s tongue licked the wound. The taste of blood stimulated his nerves, and a voice in his head screamed for more.

“For what?” Chi Yao forcefully controlled the impulse to bite down and released his hand.

Jing Xi considered his words before replying, “This was the most special susceptibility period I’ve ever had.”

Chi Yao scoffed. “Being accompanied by another alpha and not ending up seriously injuring each other is already pretty good. Of course it’s special.”

Jing Xi was silent. A complete misunderstanding.

When he woke up this morning, he was dazed for a long time. He remembered everything from yesterday, but it was completely out of character for him. Surprisingly, Chi Yao had indulged him for so long, truly staying with him for the entire day. They even kissed. Although they had kissed twice before, those were basically jokes and retaliation. But yesterday’s kiss seemed different. Still, they kissed before any confession. Wasn’t something wrong with that? Chi Yao didn’t seem to want to bring it up either. So, was yesterday’s event tacitly considered an accident?

The wound on his hand disappeared completely. Chi Yao turned to walk out. “I’ll go wash up first. Leave the food; I’ll make it.”

It was just a few sandwiches, and the ingredients were almost ready. Jing Xi hesitated for a moment before giving up. “Do you want tea or coffee?”

“Coffee.”

Chi Yao reached the door, then stopped as if he had thought of something. “Hey.”

Jing Xi looked over.

Chi Yao said, “I don’t currently have any lovers I’m dating—”