The Madman’s Devotion and a Frigid Night

Li Chen’s nose pressed against the skin of Shi Ji’s neck, his breath seemingly trying to burrow through the pores and into the bloodstream. He had always held Shi Ji tightly, their chests pressed together without a gap. The fabric of the suit sleeves rubbed against Shi Ji’s spine, the rustling sound undeniably intimate.

He clamped one hand onto the back of Shi Ji’s neck and buried his head in the crook of the man’s shoulder, his straight nose nudging the prominent cartilage of Shi Ji’s throat. Being touched on the Adam’s apple was particularly uncomfortable; it felt as if someone were forcibly gripping his throat, causing Shi Ji to instinctively feel a sense of suffocation.

Shi Ji’s hands rested against Li Chen’s back, his slender fingers scratching twice in a faint, kitten-like protest.

Li Chen nipped a thin layer of skin with his lips, shaking his head slightly from side to side. Shi Ji felt his body temperature beginning to rise uncontrollably under the embrace. Realizing Li Chen was using this method to force him to speak, Shi Ji finally raised his hands to push away the fluffy head.

“Ji Shichu,” he said. “Don’t you already know what his pheromone smells like? Why are you asking me?”

Shi Ji’s voice was muffled, laced with a hint of dissatisfaction. Li Chen flicked his gaze up toward him. Even facing Shi Ji’s soft, complaining tone, his face remained unusually devoid of expression.

“I recognized that disgusting smell of his instantly.”

Li Chen twitched the corner of his mouth, revealing a glimpse of his sharp canine teeth.

“Although I am very angry that Brother is always going to see him,” the youth slowly raised his head and leaned in to kiss Shi Ji’s chin, “that’s not what I was talking about.”

Shi Ji blinked his eyes blankly.

Seeing that Shi Ji remained silent, Li Chen’s brows knitted together. Dissatisfied, he bared his canines and nibbled twice on the bone of Shi Ji’s chin.

Shi Ji hissed in pain. His reflex was to push Li Chen’s face away, but the other party beat him to it, pinning both of his wrists above his head.

Li Chen leaned down close to him. He intentionally lowered his gaze, looking up at Shi Ji from a sharp angle. From this perspective, he looked like a predator that had locked onto its prey. Shi Ji instinctively swallowed.

“Tell me, Brother.” His voice sounded exceptionally gentle, without a trace of irritation or impatience. “Who else did you meet?”

Did he find out about the meeting with Qin Zhe?!

Shi Ji bit his lower lip.

But isn’t Qin Zhe a Beta?

Most of the researchers in that laboratory were Betas.

The person before him had a burning gaze. Under that intense scrutiny, Shi Ji was forced to yield. He let out a sigh and answered as if accepting his fate: “I went to see someone related to that car accident from over ten years ago.”

The moment those words left his mouth, Li Chen’s expression shifted. The youth’s already furrowed brow tightened further. He slightly loosened his grip on Shi Ji’s wrists and, after a few seconds of silence, asked: “You’re investigating that?”

“Yes,” Shi Ji nodded. “The recent accident left me very shaken, Li Chen.”

As he spoke, his gaze turned serious: “I think someone is secretly targeting us.”

“I’m afraid we might suddenly die one day.”

“And we wouldn’t even know who the killer was…”

Shi Ji tilted his lips in a helpless, pale smile.

In the next second, Li Chen released Shi Ji’s wrists and pulled him into a crushing embrace. His chin rested on Shi Ji’s shoulder, and his warm palms gently patted Shi Ji’s back. He was trying his best to soothe Shi Ji, yet he himself was trembling.

“I will never let anything happen to you.” Li Chen lowered his lashes, the thick fringe hiding a dark glint. “If someone wants to do something to you—”

“I will kill them first.”

Li Chen grit his teeth, his arms tightening around Shi Ji. Sensing his unease, Shi Ji hesitated before reaching out to ruffle Li Chen’s hair.

The youth froze for a moment, then proactively lowered his head to nuzzle into Shi Ji’s palm. The soft strands of hair rubbed against his palm, with a few stray hairs peeking through his fingers.

“I’ve said it before,” Li Chen spoke in a muffled voice. “I absolutely cannot exist without you.”

Shi Ji’s gaze gradually softened. He glanced at the wrinkles on the other’s shoulder before whispering: “Just whose scent is on me?”

Hearing this, Li Chen raised his head and stared straight at him.

“I’m a Beta.” Shi Ji’s lashes fluttered innocently. “I can’t smell it.”

Li Chen pursed his lips.

“I can’t recall clearly,” he said. “It’s very familiar, like I’ve smelled it before.”

“It’s an Omega pheromone.”

“It’s very faint. Brother probably didn’t get very close to them, or…”

“Didn’t stay with them for a long time.”

Li Chen was rarely this serious when answering Shi Ji’s questions, but his hands wouldn’t stay still—one moment touching Shi Ji’s waist, the next touching his cheek.

His fingers stealthily approached the back of Shi Ji’s neck, searching for the spot where a gland would be. Touching the smooth skin, he remembered the last time he had tried to inject his own pheromones while Shi Ji was asleep. Since then, the idea of turning Shi Ji into an Omega had taken root in Li Chen’s mind.

What would it be like if he had a gland?

Would he become gentle and peaceful like the Omegas he had seen?

If that were the case, it wouldn’t be so bad. He could keep him by his side day and night.

Perhaps he could even carry his child.

The Li Chen in front of him suddenly went silent. Shi Ji stared at the unreadable expression on his face. The other was staring at him with a half-smile—a look Shi Ji couldn’t quite describe, but it looked like he was plotting something wicked.

“Speak,” Shi Ji said, interrupting Li Chen’s train of thought. “That smile… is truly terrifying.”

Li Chen blinked. He leaned into Shi Ji’s ear and whispered: “I was thinking about how I could turn Brother into an Omega.”

His voice was airy and low, yet the words fell into Shi Ji’s ears like heavy stones, shattering the calm surface of his heart and sending ripples through it.

He had indeed overestimated Li Chen.

How could this kid ever be normal?

“Madman,” Shi Ji cursed bluntly. “Even if you rack your brain, it’s impossible to turn me into an Omega!”

Li Chen widened his eyes innocently and added with regret: “What a shame. If the Omega pheromone on Brother belonged to Brother, that would be wonderful.”

“I would definitely like it very much.”

Shi Ji clicked his tongue: “Who wants you to like it!”

“How about…” Li Chen’s pupils darted around as if he hadn’t heard Shi Ji’s words. “I dig out my own gland and graft it into the back of Brother’s neck? How does that sound?”

Having said that, the “puppy” reached into his pocket and pulled out a small utility knife.

He slid the blade out, raised his hand high, and prepared to plunge it into the back of his own neck.

Shi Ji’s pupils shrank.

He knew Li Chen talked like a maniac, but he didn’t realize he was such a man of action!

Shi Ji quickly grabbed Li Chen’s hand, forcing him to drop the knife.

“What is wrong with you!” He couldn’t control his volume and roared, “If you want to die, do it outside! Don’t die in front of me!”

Li Chen froze. When the man before him got emotional, his chest would heave violently. Seeing Shi Ji like this, the corners of Li Chen’s eyes drooped slightly. He couldn’t help a light chuckle, which then grew into a deep laugh.

“I was wrong.” He lowered his head to get closer to Shi Ji, only to have his cheek pushed away ruthlessly. Li Chen took the opportunity to tilt his head and kiss Shi Ji’s palm, his thin lips pressing against the fingers as he spoke indistinctly: “I know I was wrong, Brother.”

Shi Ji bit his lip and didn’t speak. His palm felt warm and damp. Li Chen was like a puppy licking a bone, sticking out his tongue to wet Shi Ji’s fingers.

Transparent saliva coated the slender knuckles. He even took the rounded fingertip into his mouth to suck on it, his gaze full of fawning.

Fck.*

Shi Ji couldn’t help but curse inwardly.

What normal person apologizes like this?!

“I am talking business with you, Li Chen.” Shi Ji’s face turned cold as he forcibly yanked his hand out of Li Chen’s grasp. The moisture on his palm dried quickly. The moment Shi Ji hid his hand behind his back, a flash of loneliness crossed Li Chen’s face.

He whimpered and backed Shi Ji into a corner, looking down at him: “But right now, I only want you to forgive me.”

Shi Ji’s expression grew even colder.

He closed his eyes.

One day, he would have to pry this kid’s head open to see what was inside.

Shi Ji: “I am only going to say this once.”

“Through my investigation over the last few days, I found that the car accident we encountered is extremely similar to the one my parents had years ago. Therefore, it is very likely the work of the same person or group. I think Ji Shichu’s theory is the most probable.”

“We are being targeted by the Organization.”

“Me.” Shi Ji raised a hand to poke Li Chen’s forehead. “And especially you. You might be their primary target for observation.”

He spoke very quickly. Li Chen watched him without blinking. Shi Ji didn’t know how much of it had actually sunk in, but he added: “Do you understand?”

Li Chen nodded.

“I understand.”

“Then what do we do now?” Shi Ji asked.

Li Chen thought for a few seconds: “Kill them.”

Shi Ji: “…”

Just let the world end.

This kid didn’t look like someone who could have escaped the Organization on his own.

“Forget it, I can’t talk sense into you,” Shi Ji gave up. “If you want me to forgive you, from now on, you have to listen to me.”

Li Chen nodded without hesitation.

Shi Ji cleared his throat, pushed Li Chen away by the shoulder, and said coldly: “First, take off those clothes.”

Hearing this, Li Chen didn’t react for a moment. It wasn’t until Shi Ji frowned and poked him twice more that his slow thoughts finally returned. His eyes widened, and a sharp light flashed in his pupils.

He then hurriedly stripped off the suit belonging to Shi Ji. The sudden brightness made Shi Ji instinctively squint his eyes. He raised a hand to shield his vision, feeling as though he could almost see a wagging dog tail behind Li Chen.

Shi Ji frowned strangely, then pointed toward the bed: “Get on.”

With a “whoosh,” Li Chen launched himself onto the bed like a spring.

Shi Ji looked at him with a hint of approval. He walked to the other side of the bed and continued his commands: “Lay down.”

Li Chen grinned and lay down obediently. He even flipped open the blanket on Shi Ji’s side, patting the empty space to invite him in.

Shi Ji lay down beside him, then yanked the blanket off Li Chen and wrapped it entirely around himself.

He rolled over and closed his eyes.

“Alright, turn off the light and go to sleep.”

Li Chen’s expression instantly froze.

Wait. Everything was ready, and we’re just… sleeping?!

He looked at Shi Ji’s back in disbelief. He raised his upper body, intending to lean in, but it was as if Shi Ji had eyes in the back of his head. Before Li Chen could get close, he heard the cold command: “Try to come over and you can get out.”

Li Chen froze in place.

Shi Ji had his back turned. Even without opening his eyes, he could feel the other’s resentful gaze burning into his back. After a while, the floor lamp in the room was turned off. Li Chen truly stayed quiet and stopped bothering him.

The room fell silent, leaving only the sound of two steady breaths. Shi Ji was far too exhausted today. The moment his head hit the soft pillow, sleepiness surged over him like a tide.

Just as his hazy mind was about to drift into a dream, Shi Ji felt a source of intense heat approaching from behind. Then, he was embraced by Li Chen from the back.

His groggy mind snapped awake. Shi Ji’s pupils contracted, and he instinctively tried to break free from the embrace.

Unexpectedly, the youth lowered his head and rested his forehead against the back of Shi Ji’s.

He murmured in a low voice.

“I know, Brother.”

“I know everything.”

Li Chen gripped the fabric of Shi Ji’s clothes in front of him, as if terrified the person in his arms would vanish.

“If he really dares to do anything to you, I will never let him go.”

“Even if it costs me my life, it doesn’t matter.”