“...” Faced with Cadet No. 1 Emil’s second attempt at volunteering, Xu Yi, the commander of the First Legion fleet, remained silent for a moment before finally relenting.
Since he already had two brats on his hands, adding one more wouldn't hurt.
At the same time, the commander locked his gaze onto the remaining cadets. The sharpness in his eyes practically screamed a warning: *The quota for troublemaking is full. First come, first served. The rest of you, don't even think about acting up.*
After warning the remaining students, the commander solemnly entrusted the bait mission to a subordinate he trusted, instructing him to keep a close eye on the three youngsters.
The subordinate saluted, accepting the role of the bait mission’s executive officer, and solemnly declared that he would see the task through.
"Good."
The commander nodded, satisfied, and dismissed the cadets to rest. Starting tomorrow, their days of leisure would be over.
The dismissed cadets went their separate ways. As the only three Omegas, the living quarters for Emil and the others were different from those of the other cadets.
Back at her quarters, Emil let out a long sigh of relief. For some reason, she had felt a faint sense of unease since earlier. Now that she was alone, that strange intuition was only growing stronger.
Emil instinctively wanted to find the Class Leader, but the moment she opened her door, she was startled by the scene before her...
Not far away, the door to the Class Leader’s quarters stood open. An Alpha was slightly bowed, gently pulling an Omega into his arms. The way his arm circled the youth’s waist was a gesture of firm protection and tenderness.
The open door swung shut silently.
Emil: “?!” What on earth did she just see?
Shocked as Emil was, the situation inside the closed room was worlds apart from what she imagined.
Inside, Ji Yeran supported Feng Zhixi and raised a hand to his forehead. The faint rise in temperature at the Omega’s temple explained a great deal.
Specifically, the person who had opened the door for him had pitched forward directly into his arms.
Leaning his full weight against Ji Yeran, Feng Zhixi half-closed his eyes and muttered under his breath, “Stunned by the stench.”
By saying this, Feng Zhixi was emphasizing that there was absolutely nothing wrong with his body!
In his past life, Feng Zhixi had never cared about Hill, so he had no idea the man would participate in this joint military exercise. Now that they were on the same ship and living so close, he was forced to face that "stink bomb" constantly. Just the thought of the man made him feel faint from the "odor."
“...” Ji Yeran began to suspect that this was the real reason Feng Zhixi had agreed to the bait plan—to get away from the "stink bomb."
Although Feng Zhixi kept insisting he was just overwhelmed by the smell, Ji Yeran hadn't forgotten the function of the shielding earring on the youth's ear. Combined with the rising body temperature of the person in his arms, it was clear—
The little patient’s old ailment was acting up again!
Having been seen through, the most uncooperative little patient gave a soft "tsk," inwardly grumbling about his current paper-thin body. It was useless!
*Better to just break completely sooner rather than later. What’s the point of keeping this half-crippled state?*
Faced with Feng Zhixi’s indifferent attitude, Ji Yeran’s expression darkened. He hadn't forgotten what the school doctor had said before they left Planet Conta: frequent episodes were not a good sign.
It meant that Feng Zhixi’s physical condition was deteriorating at an accelerated pace.
At this moment, the dark-faced Alpha had no idea that the Omega using him as a sofa was silently calculating how much longer it would take to reach the glorious future of being completely disabled.
*Hmm... maybe five or six years?*
*Can’t it be shortened? This ailment is so annoying!*
Because so much time had passed, the current Feng Zhixi couldn't accurately calculate when his body would reach the standard for total disability. Moreover, he now had an unstable factor following him around, interfering with his dreams of total paralysis.
That unstable factor was named Ji Yeran! A bastard who colluded with that quack doctor!
Glaring unhappily at Ji Yeran, Feng Zhixi’s gaze inadvertently landed on the Alpha’s face. Seeing the man’s furrowed brows, a memory suddenly flashed through his mind—the Alpha’s back, covered in scars.
Recalling how the Alpha had been wary of him touching his back on that trial planet four years ago when they nearly died, Feng Zhixi suspected those indelible scars had been on Ji Yeran even before then.
With modern medical technology, why would Ji Yeran still have such scars?
As a perfectly disobedient patient, Feng Zhixi actually had the presence of mind at this moment to wonder about the origin of someone else's scars.
Meanwhile, the Alpha he was curious about was frantically recalling the school doctor’s instructions, trying to find a way to deal with the current situation.
After quickly scanning the "quack’s" guide to patient care in his mind, Ji Yeran realized with a headache that there really wasn't any useful method, except...
"Bite him more when you can; it's good for physical and mental health~" Before they left, the doctor had given that smiling advice. Sometimes, the most primitive methods were the most effective.
Recalling the doctor's words, Ji Yeran thought: “...” *Why do I feel like that quack is playing me?*
Although he wasn't a medical student, Ji Yeran felt that repeatedly giving an Omega a temporary mark wasn't a decision to be made lightly.
But right now, there was no better way...
With this hesitation, Ji Yeran looked at Feng Zhixi, only to find that the person nestled comfortably in his arms was already half-asleep.
“?” Feng Zhixi.
Ji Yeran hesitantly placed his hand on the back of the other's neck. His touch was very light, as if any more pressure would cause this pain-sensitive, pampered soul discomfort.
Feng Zhixi blinked.
Just as Ji Yeran was struggling with how to speak, the Omega, who had already understood, tilted his head, proactively exposing the gland on the back of his neck.
Ji Yeran: “???” This little patient being so cooperative was actually quite startling.
Seeing that the man had stopped, the proactive Feng Zhixi gave Ji Yeran a strange look. “Didn't the quack tell you to bite?”
*Not going to bite?*
Meeting Feng Zhixi’s clear, dark eyes, Ji Yeran suddenly felt a flicker of guilt. For some reason, he deliberately turned his head to avoid that gaze.
Ji Yeran leaned down, and with a solemnity and tenderness he didn't even realize he possessed, he bit into the Omega’s gland.
Leaning in the Alpha’s arms, Feng Zhixi frowned as his gland was bitten. It felt hot and painful, and the accompanying scent of pheromones—sweet and sour, wrapping around him—was simply too annoying!
*Why can't Ji Yeran's pheromones just be sweet? Why the sourness?*
Silently complaining in his heart, Feng Zhixi’s thoughts began to drift. He wondered if there was a way to remove the sourness from green plums and make them purely sweet.
*Purely sweet green plums without the sourness~*
Once this strange idea appeared in Feng Zhixi’s mind, it became an irresistible temptation.
*Sweet, delicious green plums without a hint of sourness.*
*That sounds pretty good~*
“?” Ji Yeran, who was deepening the temporary mark, paused. Strangely enough, he had just caught a whiff of the scent of strong liquor. That fluctuation, hiding a little "tail" of emotion—what did it represent?
Of course, the Alpha had no idea that a certain Omega, possessed by a spirit of scientific inquiry, was currently planning how to turn sour-sweet green plums into purely sweet little plums.
Just as Ji Yeran finished the temporary mark and released Feng Zhixi, a knock came at the door.
The two inside looked at each other, both seeing suspicion in the other's eyes.
Who would come looking for Feng Zhixi at a time like this?
——————————
Outside the door, Hill clasped his hands together, confirming with the System in his mind once more.
“System, is the formula you gave reliable?”
Faced with his host’s doubt, the "System" that existed only in Hill’s mind replied mechanically: “The host may choose not to use it.”
*Not use it?*
Hill tightened his grip. After seeing Feng Zhixi, a strong sense of crisis had driven him to negotiate with the System. With his current status and position, the difficulty of completing the System’s tasks was too high.
He needed help, or he would quit!
Whether it was Hill’s threat that worked or something else, the "System"—which had always been mechanical and stood idly by—seemed to suddenly activate, providing him with a potion formula in advance and free of charge.
The ingredients for this potion were very common—so common he already had them on hand. The only strange thing about the main formula was the addition of his own blood.
*Why add my blood?* Hill couldn't figure it out.
Nevertheless, he brought this strange mixture to Feng Zhixi’s door. The task the System gave him was to quietly place this volatile potion inside the other's room.
The knocking startled the two inside.
Feng Zhixi and Ji Yeran looked at each other.
Helping Feng Zhixi put his gland protection ring back on, Ji Yeran chose to temporarily hide in the bathroom.
As the Alpha closed the door on himself, he felt a strange sense of wrongness. He couldn't put his finger on why, but it felt very odd.
This behavior was strangely like... like what?
The upright future Warden couldn't think of the term for a moment—*a clandestine affair.*
Outside the bathroom door, seeing the Alpha obediently shut himself away, a flicker of amusement passed through Feng Zhixi’s eyes. This warm smile was like a summer flower in bloom, and it hadn't entirely faded when he opened the door and saw Hill.
The black-haired, black-eyed Omega, with his exquisite features and the vibrant spirit in his eyes, merged into a dazzling radiance that made one want to—destroy it immediately!
Hill lowered his head. He knew his malice toward this person came from a strange place, but he saw no need to untangle or understand it.
*A stumbling block is meant to be kicked aside!*
“?!” Never expecting Hill to be at the door, Feng Zhixi’s steps faltered. He suddenly had a strong urge to rush into the bathroom and drag Ji Yeran out to act as a shield.
Unaware that he was being reviled, Hill adjusted his state. He looked up, revealing his foolproof smile. With his emerald eyes wide, he spoke to Feng Zhixi in a sweet, innocent voice: “Hello, I’m Hill. I... can we be friends?”
Outside the door, the "stink bomb" blinked its innocent eyes and issued a team-up invitation.
Inside the door, Feng Zhixi instinctively held his breath and frowned. Almost without hesitation, he heartlessly, cruelly, and unreasonably declared: *No thanks.* He didn't have the habit of making friends during competitions.
*Bang!*
The speed at which the door slammed shut was as blunt as his rejection. That obvious refusal to be associated with the other person perfectly portrayed the image of an arrogant, difficult-to-get-along-with Omega.
The disdain was blatant, shown clearly without the slightest concealment.
“!” Outside the door, Hill’s back molars ground together instantly. The innocence and beauty on his face were utterly destroyed by a contorted expression.
Because just now, the "System" had notified him of his failure. This meant he was about to receive the System’s punishment!
***
**Glossary**
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 诱饵执行官 | Bait Mission Executive Officer | The officer in charge of the specific bait ship/operation. |
| 腺体保护环 | Gland Protection Ring | A collar or device used by Omegas to protect their scent glands. |
| 临时标记 | Temporary Mark | A temporary bond formed when an Alpha bites an Omega's gland. |
| 纸糊的身体 | Paper-thin body | A metaphor for a very weak or fragile constitution. |
| 偷情 | Clandestine affair / Tryst | Literally "stealing love"; refers to an illicit or secret romantic encounter. |
| 系统 | System | A common trope in web novels where a character has a game-like interface or AI in their head. |
