A sulky Alpha sat on the edge of the bed, radiating gloom and frustration.
Ji Mian: Oh my, what’s the matter now?
He leaned closer, intending to ask, but Chu Shiye reacted as if startled, jerking away.
Ji Mian: “?”
Ji Mian: “Do I look that scary?”
Chu Shiye shook his head emphatically.
Ji Mian: “Then what are you doing?”
Chu Shiye fumbled for words. “I… I…”
He stared at Ji Mian, struggling for a long moment before muttering, “I took advantage of you.”
Ji Mian: “…Oh.”
So that was it.
How unexpectedly cute.
Ji Mian grinned mischievously. “That’s what you call taking advantage?”
He leaned in closer and pinched Chu Shiye’s cheek. “Then what about this?”
Chu Shiye: “!”
He instantly grabbed Ji Mian’s hand, his ears turning faintly red.
Ji Mian: How fun to tease him.
Smiling to himself, Ji Mian pulled his hand back.
Chu Shiye sat quietly, looking a little aggrieved. After a moment, noticing that Ji Mian didn’t seem bothered at all about the “taking advantage” situation, he hesitated and scooted closer.
Now sitting right next to Ji Mian, he glanced over nervously.
Ji Mian: “What should we eat tonight?”
Chu Shiye: “The city’s still sealed off, so we can’t buy groceries. But we still have some food at home.”
Ji Mian: “Alright.”
Then, almost offhandedly, he added, “Still have a headache?”
Chu Shiye: “Not anymore.”
Ji Mian: “Ohhh—”
Chu Shiye: “…”
Chu Shiye: “Wait, no, I’m fine. I wasn’t uncomfortable.”
Ji Mian: “It’s okay. Kids don’t like seeing the doctor.”
Chu Shiye: “…”
Chu Shiye: “Then you’re a kid too.”
Ji Mian: “Nope. I’m older than you.”
Chu Shiye had no response.
How does being one year older even count?
Ji Mian: “It does count. Thanks for asking.”
Chu Shiye: “…”
Why does Su Lan always know exactly what I’m thinking?
Ji Mian: “Because it’s very obvious.”
Chu Shiye: “…………”
He turned away, visibly more frustrated.
Ji Mian couldn’t help but laugh softly.
—
Earlier, when Chu Shiye had been asleep, Ji Mian had performed a simple mental calibration on him.
Chu Shiye’s mental energy was like an ancient frozen lake, sealed under thick, lifeless ice—practically a dead lake.
Breaking through such a state required intense external force, as had happened during his confrontation with the A-level beast.
But this method was dangerous, with a low success rate. After all, facing an A-level beast meant one wrong step could lead to death.
And Chu Shiye hadn’t even managed to fully break through the barrier during that encounter; he had nearly been seriously injured. This method was clearly not ideal—it only addressed the symptoms, not the root cause.
Still, even a small crack in the ice was a start, creating a sliver of possibility for the lake to thaw.
If the ice couldn’t be shattered, then it would melt.
Ji Mian had resolved to provide ongoing mental guidance until the day the ice melted and the lake flowed freely again.
—
In the meantime, the city remained under lockdown, and transportation within the city was restricted. Ji Mian received news from Xiao Zhang that there would be a temporary holiday.
For the next two days, Chu Shiye and Ji Mian stayed home to recover. Remarkably, the events at the mine hadn’t spread—likely suppressed by Fu Zeren.
Early on the third morning, Ji Mian heard the soft sound of a door opening and stirred awake. Turning his head, he saw Chu Shiye about to slip outside.
“Heading into the city?”
Chu Shiye paused mid-step. “Yeah.”
Ji Mian sat up, still looking a little sleepy. “Take me with you.”
“No need,” Chu Shiye said. “You should rest.”
“No,” Ji Mian replied. “I’m afraid you’ll get lost.”
Chu Shiye: “…?”
Ji Mian: “Wait a minute. I’ll be quick.”
He knew Chu Shiye hadn’t been in the best shape these past two days.
Perhaps it was because the cracks in his mental barrier had begun to form, or because his mental state had been shaken. Recently, Chu Shiye often complained of headaches but never admitted it outright.
After washing up, Ji Mian threw on a coat and walked to the door. Chu Shiye silently buttoned Ji Mian’s coat and adjusted the collar.
The two stepped out together.
—
The city gates had reopened, but the scene outside was something they had never seen before.
A long line had formed beyond the gates, and on a makeshift platform stood a robed figure handing out supplies to the waiting crowd.
It was someone Ji Mian recognized—the curly-haired man from before.
A few days ago, this man had been distributing flyers on the street. Now, he was surrounded by grateful residents, as if he were the center of their world.
“Thank you, Lord Joshua!”
“Your charity has cured my child! You’re a saint!”
The crowd’s gratitude was palpable.
Joshua—apparently the man’s name—smiled faintly, his voice gentle as a spring breeze.
“I am no saint,” he said.
“We of the Charity Society follow the footsteps of our Lord and heed the voices of the people.”
“Your pain and your pleas are heard by the Lord, who sends down His sacred message to us.”
A wounded resident asked excitedly, “Does the Lusuk you speak of really exist?”
Joshua touched his chest and said, “Of course. He is here.”
Ji Mian, standing at the edge of the crowd, remarked, “Let’s go.”
Chu Shiye: “Okay.”
They bypassed the crowd and headed to Kane’s small shop.
“Oh, you’re back,” Kane greeted them. “I heard your trip went smoothly?”
Chu Shiye remained silent, so Ji Mian asked, “Who told you that?”
“Berg’s guys,” Kane said. “They said you got lucky and nothing happened.”
Ji Mian nodded, realizing Berg must have been silenced by Fu Zeren.
Curious, he asked, “What’s going on at the city gates?”
“Oh, you must’ve seen the Charity Society,” Kane replied. “That group is… strange.”
“But they have done some good. While you were gone, there were a lot of attacks—injuries from wild beasts and random assaults. No one died, but many were injured, and a lot of them were too poor to afford hospital treatment.”
“It’s the Relief Association that gives them free treatment medications, which cured them.”
Ji Mian: “It seems that those who were cured also joined the Relief Association.”
Kane: “A lot of them did, so recently there have been many people from the Relief Association on the streets.”
Ji Mian: “Then, has the person in charge figured out the cause of the assaults and beast attacks?”
Kane: “Not yet, everything’s still under investigation. You know how slow they are with their efficiency.”
He said that and winked at Chu Shiye: “The stuff you wanted is here.”
Chu Shiye said to Ji Mian: “Wait for me a moment.”
Ji Mian: “Mm.”
He watched as Kane mysteriously led Chu Shiye into the store, then happily opened the door and sent Chu Shiye out.
Ji Mian: “How come it’s so fast this time?”
He glanced at the small amount of things in Chu Shiye’s hand.
Chu Shiye was holding a small bag: “Mm, let’s go home.”
On the way back, they bought some more groceries, and Chu Shiye carried all the bags, big and small, by himself.
Ji Mian: “Really, don’t you need help carrying them?”
Chu Shiye: “No.”
Ji Mian: Sigh, he’s such a good person.
They quickly arrived home, and Chu Shiye put down a few bags, then looked at Ji Mian.
Then slowly, he took something out: “This, for you.”
Ji Mian lowered his eyes, his gaze slightly sharp.
It was a suppressant.
“Ah, how thoughtful.” He was a bit surprised, then smiled slightly, “But I don’t go into heat.”
Chu Shiye froze slightly, a bit of confusion in his eyes.
“When I was of age, I had surgery,” Ji Mian lifted his dark hair, and there was a faint, long scar on the back of his neck, “I originally wanted to directly remove the glands, but my body wasn’t in good condition at the time, and removing them directly could have been fatal.”
“So, that surgery only modified the glands so I wouldn’t enter heat, and thus wouldn’t need to be marked.” Ji Mian said, “Sorry, I should have told you earlier, then you wouldn’t have had to spend money on it.”
Chu Shiye: “Ah.”
His first reaction was: “It must have hurt, right?”
Ji Mian: “I’ve forgotten, it probably wasn’t too painful.”
Chu Shiye stayed silent for a few seconds and then said, “Can I take a look?”
Ji Mian lowered his head.
Chu Shiye raised his hand.
His fingertips gently brushed Ji Mian’s neck, the slight calluses of his fingers grazing over the skin, leaving a mild tingling sensation.
Since the pressure was light, this action didn’t come across as intrusive, and it made Ji Mian’s thoughts wander slightly.
That surgery had a time limit. Every ten years, he needed to undergo it again.
Perhaps he would need to think of a way…
Chu Shiye withdrew his hand. “It must have hurt a lot back then.”
“Here, you should keep this,” he placed the suppressant into Ji Mian’s hand, “Maybe it will be useful later.”
Ji Mian smiled with his eyes: “Thank you.”
Chu Shiye’s gaze flicked over Ji Mian’s fair neck, and he didn’t seem disappointed that the suppressant he bought didn’t end up being useful.
Su Lan doesn’t go into heat.
So… Su Lan won’t be marked by any other Alpha.
This thought suddenly popped into Chu Shiye’s mind. He paused for a moment, as if to cover up something, and quickly turned away.
Just as he stood up, his body suddenly swayed.
Ji Mian immediately grabbed his sleeve: “What’s wrong?”
Chu Shiye: “…Nothing.”
…Another headache.
It’s been like this these past few days.
It felt as if a sharp needle had pierced his temple. Chu Shiye’s face didn’t show any emotion.
Ji Mian furrowed his brows slightly and softened his voice: “Lie down and rest for a while.”
Chu Shiye didn’t say anything and obediently allowed Ji Mian to pull him to the side of the bed. Almost as soon as he lay down, he became groggy and lost consciousness.
Ji Mian’s fingers rested on Chu Shiye’s forehead, a faint glow emerged, and he sighed inwardly: It looks like he’s really suffering.
Replenishing his spiritual energy isn’t easy for this Alpha.
What did he go through when he was young for his spiritual power to be so severely damaged?
Lost in thought, there was a knock at the door, three light taps, neither too loud nor too soft.
Ji Mian had just finished the spiritual guidance and thought it was Kane. He said, “Come in.”
The door creaked open.
The unlocked door was gently pushed open, but it wasn’t Kane who appeared at the doorway. Instead, three unfamiliar individuals dressed in black entered.
“Are you Mr. Su?”
The men in black were polite and straightforward.
“We are people from the city lord’s office. The city lord has learned that you saved this city, and he wishes to invite you to meet with him in person to express his gratitude.”
“City lord?” Ji Mian thought to himself, this little city really has a lot of people. “What’s the connection with the person in charge?”
The man in black politely replied, “The city lord is the actual ruler here, and Mr. Fu Zeren is also under his command.”
Ji Mian didn’t sense any malice from them. He glanced at Chu Shiye, who was still on the bed. “Can I come later?”
The man in black hesitated and said, “I’m afraid that’s not possible. The city lord’s orders are that he wishes to meet with you immediately.”
Ji Mian calmly asked, “What if I don’t go?”
The man’s expression changed slightly. “Then… the city lord will have us killed.”
Ji Mian raised an eyebrow slightly.
The city lord of this place was named Tansen, a B-grade support-type ability user.
The meeting place with Tansen was on the top floor of a tall building in the city center. Ji Mian had passed by this tallest building a few times but never knew who lived inside.
“Mr. Su, you have saved our city; you are our great benefactor.”
Tansen was a tall, thin man who, although winter had not yet arrived, was draped in a heavy fur coat, his fingers adorned with numerous glittering diamond rings.
“Please, have some tea.”
His voice was soft and gentle, much like an elegant and cultured person.
Ji Mian picked up the cup of tea, lowered his eyes, and stared at the tea for a few seconds. Then, in response to Tansen’s gaze, he took a small sip.
He then looked up. “What do you want from me?”
Tansen smiled and raised both arms, relaxing completely as he leaned back into the sofa.
“To be honest, I don’t have good intentions.”
His voice suddenly changed, raising his eyebrows with a mischievous, smug grin.
“As soon as I saw you, I knew you were an Omega.”
Ji Mian’s expression remained unchanged as he heard Tansen’s next words:
“So, can you guess—what’s in that cup?”
R : So can you guess where my fist gonna land !!!!
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