Evenheiler reflected that, as an Omega, he might not be quite the failure he had once imagined himself to be.
After all, he had managed to make a powerhouse feared by the entire galaxy—a young saint who stood like a sun of steel—briefly set everything aside. He had drawn that man, still clad in his formal, solemn uniform, into the steam-filled bathroom, where the youth had torn the tie from his own neck in the drenching heat, caught Evenheiler’s hands, and bound them behind his waist.
Thus, the tiny, secret whim buried deep in his heart had been discovered. His young sun had pried it open, carefully seasoning and savoring it, satisfying his every desire.
The price, however... was finally being forced to understand just how much the other man had been holding back all these years. Less than half an hour after it began, Evenheiler found himself involuntarily shedding tears for the first time since he was old enough to know better.
The messy, intermittent kind, mingled with strange, broken sounds.
*Damn it, is a physical-type Esper with multiple traits and a body this strong even human? Is he?!*
Oh, right. "Double-S" ranks were already considered half-gods by most...
*Tsk!!*
Furthermore, his Steel Saint seemed quite dissatisfied with the repeated use of the title "Sun Star." He used countless methods to make Evenheiler cry out that short, forceful name instead—sometimes articulated clearly, sometimes slurred, sometimes flowing naturally, and sometimes broken by gasps.
By the end, Evenheiler’s consciousness had begun to blur. His mind was hammered into a stupor by the surging peaks of sensation, leaving him able only to beg for mercy while slumped helplessly in that warm embrace, taking in everything.
To be honest, his judgment of character had been spot on; Lei Ting truly was magnanimous and kind.
After all... everything he wanted, the young man had given him. And what was given was more—so much more—than he had ever asked for.
He remained there until he no longer had the strength to embrace any new grace, leaving him with no choice but to let himself be held as he tumbled into final, total fulfillment.
***
When he woke again, Evenheiler felt as though he had lost all sense of time.
He blinked, dazed to find himself sprawled across Lei Ting’s chest. His body was filled with a heavy, soft relaxation and a subtle soreness. Though the latter was practically non-existent to an Esper capable of slicing through planets with a blade, he still lazily abandoned any plan of climbing up, choosing instead to linger in Lei Ting’s arms.
The young man was carefully massaging his body, occasionally tracing the mostly faded scars on his skin. His warm fingertips carried a rough, somewhat ungentle tenderness—a level of pressure that would make an ordinary person cry out in pain, but which felt incredibly comfortable to Evenheiler’s sensitive yet resilient and powerful frame.
It was warm beneath the blankets covering them. Lei Ting looked down at his treasure; the man was slumped in his arms with his beautiful blue eyes narrowed, looking like a golden, long-haired cat.
"I thought you could keep holding back," Evenheiler said with a hint of amusement.
Well, it was a sentence no one would believe.
"You issued the invitation. If I hadn't come, it would have been a breach of etiquette," Lei Ting replied with a straight face. "It isn't my style to let a friend go without what he wants."
"Hmph..." Evenheiler let out a cold chuckle. "Whose etiquette dictates *that*? And 'friend'? Do you treat all your friends like this?"
Lei Ting arched an eyebrow.
'Like this'? Like what?
Satisfying their every need, of course.
"My own etiquette. It only applies to myself and my 'Uncle'." Lei Ting smiled and leaned down, inhaling the sweet, clear scent from the hair of the mature, handsome man in his arms. "Is Uncle dissatisfied?"
Evenheiler choked on his breath. He pushed himself up and stared hard into the innocent golden eyes of the young man beneath him, hissing through gritted teeth, "Can't you use a different name?!"
"A different name?" Vice Legion Commander Lei blinked, his expression turning even more innocent. "Mr. Valen? Supervisor Valen? Or... Enan?"
As those three names were uttered, Evenheiler’s momentum plummeted step by step. Finally, he curled into a ball, consumed by a surging wave of guilt.
He could only move his lips wordlessly, falling into silence as he turned his head away, unable to meet Lei Ting’s soul-piercing gaze.
Lei Ting’s willingness to forgive him was Lei Ting’s business; regardless, he truly had deceived the man.
If the person he had deceived hadn't been so good, he might have felt a bit better... but his luck had been far too good. Back then, with a single laugh on a street corner, he had fished a peerlessly good man out of the crowd.
A man who was extraordinarily stable—a "Double-S" who should have had a limitless future if not for the interference of this "Uncle."
At this moment, Evenheiler frowned. His brilliant blonde hair and blue eyes seemed to lose their luster, and a long-lingering sense of exhaustion allowed the guilt in his heart to gnaw at his soul more effectively. Lei Ting panicked slightly, reaching up to press a hand against his back and pull him back into his embrace.
"Relax, Even... I won't mention those things anymore," Lei Ting said softly.
*No... that isn't your problem. It never was.*
Evenheiler closed his eyes slightly and let out a heavy sigh. He didn't know how to describe his feelings at this moment; it was difficult to find the source within a tangled mess of thorns.
Under the circumstances, he could only change the subject. "Did the Consortium know you were coming to find me?"
"They didn't," Lei Ting answered flatly. "Don't worry, I notified them and gave them all the face they required. Besides, Lucas and the others stayed behind to handle the remaining matters. It’s a good chance to increase his public exposure."
*Lucas...*
Evenheiler’s lip twitched. *Good grief, talking about exploiting your nephew for work while holding the uncle who betrayed your faction—you really are something, Lei Ting!*
But even so, he didn't feel there was anything wrong with Lei Ting at all. Why was that?
"What exactly are you doing here at the Ring World?" Evenheiler chuckled, shifting his position to lie beside Lei Ting, though their hands remained clasped.
"Is this one of the leaders of the Resistance asking a member of the decision-making tier of the faction he opposes about their political objectives?"
"It could also be 'Evenheiler' asking 'Lei Ting'."
"That won't work, Uncle Even. I won't tell you." Lei Ting sighed, turning on his side to embrace him, his hand feeling the suppleness of his body and the history etched upon it. "Don't ask again. There won't be a next time."
Evenheiler naturally knew he wouldn't say. Lei Ting had always kept public and private matters strictly separate, and was Evenheiler any different?
Thus, the real purpose behind his overstepping question was actually his next sentence: "Give me my terminal."
"..." Lei Ting said nothing.
"I'll grant you shared access. You can monitor every operation on it," Evenheiler said helplessly. "But don't expect to see any files. They were automatically destroyed the moment I ordered my people to retreat."
"An excellent security protocol." Lei Ting summoned the external optical computer unit from across the room, letting it land in Evenheiler’s hand. "What do you want to see?"
"Let's see..." Evenheiler projected the light screen. "...the news about you."
Sure enough, the moment the new-model external unit—specifically used for his undercover identity—was activated, a high-definition banner photo popped up on the startup interface.
It was an aerial-style shot that included nearly all the Consortium’s parliamentary representatives.
They surrounded the center of the frame, each frozen in a static pose, though their expressions and gestures varied.
When the figure at the center—the one drawing all eyes—was enlarged, the man in pitch-black armor and cloak was fully revealed to the viewer.
That figure seemed to swallow all light from every direction just by standing there, yet the warm golden light, the elegant gold ornaments, and that golden laurel crown proclaimed his status as a man of Order.
Beside him were a Lyran, a Dragon, a giant Mushroom-kin, a jelly-like creature, and a humanoid encased in heavy combat armor with no visible body... the entire high command of the Parliament was present. Not far behind him followed several people, the one in the lead possessing hair as brilliant as his smile.
That was the most glorious moment of the "Sun Star’s" arrival at the Ring World during the welcoming ceremony.
But both men present knew that the "Sun Star" at that time hadn't been looking at those Consortium officials... he had been scanning the crowd, searching for a federal fugitive who had tripped his senses.
Evenheiler suddenly laughed.
Back when his brain wasn't working right, he had truly overestimated himself. To be perfectly honest, he definitely couldn't beat the current Lei Ting.
Moreover... his frantic attempt to flee back then seemed quite amusing in hindsight. What would it have mattered even if he had fled to the ends of the universe? Lei Ting’s powerful abilities made his gaze unique from the start; it was impossible for him not to trigger Lei Ting’s perception. And Lei Ting... this guy only needed a single glance to remember the recent content and specific locations of every metallic element within his body!
Never mind that the suppressor on his neck and other items contained metal; Lei Ting only needed to lock onto the position of a single metallic element in his body. As long as Evenheiler hadn't jumped away yet, going anywhere was utterly futile.
It was simply a matter of spatial transfer.
"What is it?" Lei Ting asked.
"Nothing... I just realized my own problem," Evenheiler sighed softly. "I injected too many suppressants in the past, which led to my cognitive control during heat being lower than it should be..."
As he spoke, he didn't notice the gaze of the youth behind him slowly darkening.
"...I'll have to correct that in the future." Amidst the rising temperature of the surroundings, Evenheiler snuggled comfortably into Lei Ting’s arms. "I... hm?!"
A strange sensation caused him to freeze in shock. In the next second, he realized Lei Ting’s hand had already slid down his waist and thigh.
"You..." His breath hitched. He bit his lip and endured for a moment, then rasped out through his pants, "You... haven't had enough?"
"I am merely helping you adapt to your heat sooner, Uncle." Lei Ting’s voice was incredibly solemn; Evenheiler couldn't detect even a hint of lust in it. "Lest you continue to harm yourself with suppressants one day."
"..." Evenheiler was stunned. A moment later, cold sweat slowly broke out.
He suddenly remembered the shock and concern the young man had felt when he first perceived the state of his body. In fact, he knew very well that there were people in this world who deliberately cultivated Omegas like him—sensitive and abnormally developed due to suppressants—for their own amusement. Often, without physical evidence, even the law found it hard to punish them. But in Lei Ting’s eyes, that was a complete desecration of life, a harm against a fellow citizen, and a criminal act that disrespected personal life and property rights.
And he himself had been committing this "crime" against his own body for longer than Lei Ting had been alive.
Now... he had even brought it up openly.
It was over. Completely over.
As he was forced down onto the soft bedding with his hands bound, Evenheiler blinked his blue eyes, the fine lines at their corners crinkling. He didn't even know whether he should cry or laugh, whether he should resist or... anticipate.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 猎户人 | Lyran | A fictional alien race in the story. |
| 龙 | Dragon | A fictional alien race/being in the story. |
| 巨型菌菇人 | Mushroom-kin | A fictional alien race in the story. |
| 抑制器 | Suppressor | A device (often a collar) used to manage or suppress Omega traits/pheromones. |
| 空间转移 | Spatial transfer | A teleportation or movement ability. |
| 联邦 | Federation | The political entity Evenheiler is a fugitive from. |
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