Jiang Sen's movements were swift and elegant, from drawing his gun to finishing the job in mere seconds. It was clear that his usual training was exceptional. However, this only made me wonder quietly about his true identity. But my limited imagination failed to grasp the concepts of wealth and power, leaving my mind a blank screen of static.
Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, I quickly slipped the terminal into my pocket.
Never overestimate the security of smart terminals. Civilizations may collapse and rebuild, and so will Huaqiangbei.
Before I knew it, Jiang Sen had approached me. He leaned down and asked, "Can you get up now? Let me take you back."
What kind of question was that? Of course, I could.
I pushed myself up from the ground, but as I stood, my vision went black, and the world spun around me. I felt weightless.
Jiang Sen quickly steadied me, supporting my body.
"I got up too fast," I explained, though I could feel my body trembling, my hands cold. "It's fine, I can walk on my own," I added.
Jiang Sen glanced at my shoulder, and I followed his gaze: my shoulder was trembling at a rate of three times per second.
Alright, fine. It wasn’t my fault. I did my best, even managed to turn the tables, and now I’m allowed to feel a bit of post-action fear, right?
Jiang Sen looked away and didn’t say anything more. Instead, he reached out to adjust the jacket wrapped around me. Then, he placed a hand on my waist and guided me forward, slowing his pace.
After walking for a while, I couldn’t take it anymore. My mouth was filled with the taste of blood, and being pressed so close to him, I could even detect his deliberately restrained pheromones.
I was on the verge of throwing up.
I grabbed his hand on my waist and said, "It’s fine, I’ve stabilized now."
"But you look—" Jiang Sen paused, choosing his words carefully, "—pale and weak."
That’s because I’m holding back the nausea.
Enough already, don’t you think this is weird!?
Afraid that opening my mouth would result in me vomiting, I forced a smile and shook my head, pushing his hand away.
Jiang Sen clearly didn’t understand how uncomfortable this proximity and atmosphere were for me, so he tightened his grip, pulling me closer to him.
I was on the verge of a breakdown. Dude, please don’t do this, I’m seriously not into this.
Unable to control myself, I let out a strange yelp. Jiang Sen looked at me in surprise, pulling me even closer and turning me to face him. He leaned in, concern in his voice, "What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Let me—"
I decided to use this moment to add a plausible trait to my persona.
I pushed him away forcefully, stumbling back a few steps, clutching my chest and breathing heavily. "Stay away from me!"
Jiang Sen stood there, stunned.
I began to improvise, covering my head with my hands, then closing my eyes, sighing deeply, and finally crossing my arms over my chest as if in tears. This classic over-the-top breakdown act seemed to have shocked Jiang Sen. He looked conflicted, hesitant to speak.
"I’m sorry—I can’t seem to control it," I bit my lip, then released it after a moment. "I know you have nothing to do with this, and I know you’re not that kind of person, but I just can’t handle it right now."
Jiang Sen asked, "Can’t handle what?"
I hesitated, "Being too close to an alpha."
"I guess I’m just useless. I’m an alpha myself; I shouldn’t be afraid." My shoulders started to tremble again, though this time it was deliberate. I had to focus hard to keep my face from twitching along with the shaking. "But I’m just too weak. I can’t help it right now. I’m sorry. But don’t worry, I’ll probably feel better after a good night’s sleep."
I added sincerely, "Thank you for offering to take me home, but it’s fine. I can manage on my own. It’s just one of those things, I—"
"It’s alright," Jiang Sen interrupted me. He seemed at a loss, his brows furrowed as he took a few steps forward before stopping abruptly. "It’s fine, really. I understand."
Jiang Sen continued, "It’s not your fault. I didn’t realize… that you were scared, that this was the issue…"
His words trailed off, hesitant and unclear.
My mind went blank for a moment, and I instinctively clenched my legs.
Dude, can you not talk like that? It’s seriously gross.
*
In the end, Jiang Sen still sent a driver to take me home.
I had been staying at the hospital for a while and hadn’t been home in a long time.
Standing in front of the dilapidated apartment building, I climbed the steep, cracked stairs and glanced at the walls covered in graffiti—countless profanities like "F*** you" and "F*** the world," along with crude drawings. I felt a sense of comfort.
It’s been a few days, and this place still has that authentic slum vibe.
But I wasn’t in a hurry to go home. Instead, I went downstairs and walked to a small building around the corner. From the outside, it looked no different from the other run-down residential buildings, but upon closer inspection, you’d notice a steady stream of people coming and going.
The reason was simple: many of the residents were involved in small-time businesses.
I knocked on a familiar door, and as soon as I entered, I slapped the terminal on the table. "Can you unlock this?"
The owner fiddled with it for a bit before admitting, "No way. These things are branded, with tight security measures. They’re tied to an ID. Can’t be unlocked."
"What about accessing the data from the backend?" I persisted.
"Their database isn’t connected to ours. No access without authorization," the owner added.
"Whose authorization is needed?" I asked, my heart sinking.
The person might be dead, but the data’s still out there. What if Jiang Sen finds it later?
"Let me see. Ah, this code—it’s a terminal from Wings of Glory," the owner examined the model number. "They’ve never shared their database with any other organization. In theory, only their internal staff can access it. Why are you so interested in this? You’ve never cared about these details before when selling stuff."
The owner’s eyes narrowed, and a sly grin spread across his face. "You didn’t finally get caught, did you?"
"Shut up," I brushed off his teasing, feeling a sense of relief.
Wings of Glory, officially known as Wings of Glory Industries, was a well-known monopoly in the terminal industry. Even in the outer cities, people knew they had a rocky relationship with the government. They had been summoned by the Securities Commission three times, and many seats in the parliament were opposed to them, which is why they never authorized database access to any external organizations.
Smart terminals were valuable, but their excellent tracking mechanisms made them difficult to circulate.
I could only watch regretfully as the owner dismantled it into parts, handing me a few scattered bills as I left. The difference between this and a person was stark—if you could dismantle a person and sell the parts, it’d be a fortune.
With the money in hand, I returned home, packed my belongings, and informed my contacts at the factory using my home terminal. Although I planned to sneak in and never come back, I still wanted to maintain some goodwill, just in case I ended up crawling back here in defeat.
The phone calls took a while, as I bid farewell to everyone I could think of. With still a lot of time before my arranged pickup, I felt like I should do something more.
But after thinking for a while, my mind kept circling back to tonight’s plan to sneak in. Giving up on further contemplation, I decided to write a letter to Leonard. I searched online for some quotes and emotional phrases, added a few lines I’d copied from storybooks, and sent off my farewell letter.
Outside, the sky darkened, and the gentle breeze turned into a fierce gale, bending the trees under its force.
A beam of light from a searchlight shone through my window.
The car to pick me up had arrived.
*
On the hospital rooftop, the sound of helicopter blades was deafening, and searchlights swept across the area.
I was being taken away in secret, so I had no choice but to wear a military uniform, blending in with Jiang Sen’s entourage.
High-altitude passenger aircraft were still helicopters, though they had been technologically refined to the point where they no longer resembled traditional helicopters. But if people called them planes, then planes they were.
The hovering aircraft finally descended.
I followed behind Jiang Sen, my head lowered as I climbed aboard, but my eyes couldn't help but wander around.
There were two airboats this time, and the one I boarded with Jiang Sen was noticeably more luxurious and spacious. Inside, there was a lounge, entertainment area, dining room, and even the seats were incredibly plush.
But something felt off to me.
It wasn’t until I was leaning back in my seat, drifting off to sleep, that an announcement jolted me awake.
It was directed at Jiang Sen: "Young Master Yalian still hasn’t woken up! It might be the precursor to his heat cycle. Should we wake him now and administer the suppressant?"
I was instantly wide awake, my eyes snapping open.
Shit, how could I have forgotten? Disen didn’t just send a message to Jiang Sen; that bastard cc’d it to everyone!
No wonder I’d felt like I’d missed something all day!
I’d forgotten to clean up the mess!
"Let me go!"
I shouted at Jiang Sen.
Jiang Sen sat across from me, his cheek resting on his hand, his brow furrowed. "To visit my fiancé?"
I hesitated for a moment.
Jiang Sen waved away the people sitting around us, leaving only the two of us in the area.
He was clearly displeased but trying to hold it back. "You promised me that once this was over, you wouldn’t get close to him again."
"I’m sorry, but after what happened today, I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to him." I gestured to the military uniform I was wearing. "I’m dressed like this, and I’ll wear a hat. He won’t recognize me. The person just said he’s resting. I’ll just administer the suppressant. I won’t do anything else."
When Jiang Sen heard "what happened today," he couldn’t help but look away.
I added with a hint of disappointment, "If it bothers you, then forget it. After all, whether I like it or not, I do owe you a favor. I don’t want to ruin our relationship, and I don’t want to create any distance between Yalian and you. It’s fine."
"Can you stop bringing up my relationship with Yalian? Our relationship is already beyond repair. I’m just pissed that you’re going this far for him." Jiang Sen’s dark eyes flashed with anger, but he stopped himself and simply said, "Right now, I’m not angry as Yalian’s fiancé. I’m angry as your friend."
I forced a bitter smile. "I can’t help it. After the trial, you said you’d arrange a job for me, and I’d live my life on my own. But before that, I just want to see him one last time, even if he doesn’t know I’m there. I want to say goodbye. Can this be the start of it? Let me finally let go."
"You said it." Jiang Sen tapped his knee with his finger and finally sighed. "I’ll wait outside the lounge. You’d better do as you said."
"For both our sakes," Jiang Sen added.
We walked to Yalian’s lounge, and with every step, my heart beat faster.
Did Yalian see that message? If he did, why didn’t he come? Was the message Disen sent to Jiang Sen the same as the one he sent to Yalian? From the way Jiang Sen spoke, it seemed the message he received didn’t directly reveal what I’d done. But what about Yalian? If he’s been sleeping because of his heat cycle, when did it start?
With every step, the pressure grew heavier.
By the time I reached the door, my hand was trembling as I gripped the handle.
Jiang Sen was the one urging me now. "If you’re going to say goodbye, just get it over with."
Get it over with? Like I’m going to die?
You have no idea! Do you even know how dangerous this is?
I swallowed hard and finally turned the handle, stepping into the lounge. What greeted me was Yalian’s peaceful sleeping form and a medical cart prepared by the bed.
The dim light reflected off the prepared suppressant syringe, casting a cold gleam.
I closed the door, pulled my hat lower, and approached the bed, only to notice something tucked under the pillow on the far side. I leaned in closer and saw a smart terminal peeking out.
I knelt on the edge of the bed, carefully reaching for it while keeping an eye on Yalian’s condition.
He didn’t seem to be sleeping soundly, but I was far from calm.
Why is this bed so big? Why don’t you rich people just sleep on the floor?
I moved my knees desperately, stretching my arm to reach it. Just as my fingertips touched the cold device, I felt the sheets shift beneath me. Everything seemed to slow down as I slowly looked up at Yalian. He slowly opened his eyes, his eyebrows raised, his eyes wide, his mouth agape.
The scene shifted to the door, where I could see Jiang Sen still standing outside.
Everything was so slow, so slow that a song started playing in my head.
"Slowly, my heart aches, slowly it grows cold, slowly I wait for a lover who never comes. I give my all, but what do I get in return? Love cannot be divided, cannot be hated, cannot be trusted too easily. One true love leaves nothing but scars—"
The song "Slowly" had just started in my head when time suddenly sped up again.
I didn’t care anymore. I lunged forward, grabbed his hair, and kissed him, my other hand clutching the terminal to my chest. Yalian struggled in my arms, his legs twisting under the sheets, but within seconds, a flush spread across his face.
An overwhelming scent of roses filled the air.
He clung to me like an octopus.
Sorry, triggering your heat cycle early isn’t ideal, but my life is more important.
I let go of his hair and steadied his waist, kicking the medical cart beside the bed.
"Bang—"
The cart toppled over, the suppressants crashing to the floor.
I wrapped my arms around Yalian and rolled off the bed, hearing the sound of bones cracking and feeling cold sweat break out on my forehead.
Jiang Sen burst through the door, and I shouted, "His heat cycle’s started! Help!"
