Chapter 8
Lush grass swayed, a sea of green as far as the eye could see.
Shi Nuo sat on the small stool by the door, holding a cup of warm water, lost in thought. The wind ruffled his hair and the edges of his clothes.
His wild vegetables, dug up yesterday, were drying in front of the door.
After retrieving his tools the day before yesterday, he had diligently gathered a large amount of wild vegetables within a five-hundred-meter radius of the house.
There was no shortage of weeds and wild vegetables here. After harvesting a patch, new sprouts would emerge within ten days or half a month, one crop after another.
He wouldn’t starve even if he stayed near the house, but the limited variety of vegetables nearby, just two or three kinds, was monotonous. That was why he kept venturing further out.
The Alpha’s pheromones still lingered, strongest on Shi Nuo himself.
Having been injected with a large amount of pheromones directly into his scent gland, even the metabolic process took longer.
A typical temporary mark would dissipate completely within a week, but Hugh Elvis’s, the white wolf’s, pheromones were too dominant and potent. Shi Nuo estimated it would take about two weeks for them to fade.
At night, when he smelled the cold, faint fragrance on himself, it felt like an Alpha was in the room with him.
Even his blanket carried the lingering Alpha scent.
Although he wasn’t used to it, the presence of the white wolf’s pheromones after being marked brought him a deep sense of relaxation and security. He slept more soundly, no longer waking up in the middle of the night.
The water cup was empty. Shi Nuo came back to his senses. The wind blew in from outside, ruffling the hair on his forehead.
The hair he had cut hadn’t grown back much, and his hairstyle was still unattractive. However, his face was so beautiful that the awkward haircut only made him look clumsily cute.
Shi Nuo looked up at the sky. The sun was bright, and he squinted. It was already noon.
The sky was clear blue, dotted with white clouds. It was a beautiful day, and it didn’t seem as hot today.
He didn’t understand the seasonal cycles here and wasn’t sure what the next season would bring. Fortunately, he had found the potatoes. He would go and dig up some more in a few days. Perhaps the small potatoes had grown larger by now.
The white wolf’s presence had many advantages. At the very least, he didn’t have to worry about being attacked by wild animals when he went to the northwest to dig potatoes. The wolf’s pheromones alone indicated its strength.
Wild animals always marked their territory.
He didn’t know the exact extent of the white wolf’s territory, but he knew that as long as he stayed within it, no medium or large predatory animals would appear. And the scent of the Alpha’s pheromones on him would warn smaller creatures to stay away.
His wandering thoughts were interrupted by hunger, and Shi Nuo got up and went to the kitchen.
He had already blanched the wild vegetables, and they were in a draining basket, no longer dripping water into the sink.
He emptied the basket onto a plate, added soy sauce, vinegar, and salt, mixed them, and set them aside. Then he turned on the stove, filled a small pot with water, and placed a plate of cut potatoes next to it. Boiled potatoes again today.
Boiled wild vegetables, boiled potatoes, steamed potatoes – these were his only options, and Shi Nuo had no choice.
So, apart from missing the taste of meat, he didn’t feel any frustration or discouragement with the monotonous food.
The feeling of hunger was unpleasant, and he had never considered ending his lonely, ordinary life by starving himself.
The water temperature rose, and small bubbles appeared at the bottom of the pot. Shi Nuo cut a thin slice of solid oil to add a bit of meaty fragrance to the potatoes.
He stared at the water in the pot, lost in thought for a while. When the water boiled, he poured the potatoes into the pot, then made up his mind, turned, and opened the refrigerator, taking a small piece of meat from the freezer.
The meat was frozen, so he put it directly into the pot with the potatoes, covered the pot, and waited with a hint of anticipation.
He had two pieces of meat left before. Repeatedly thawing and refreezing wasn’t good, so he had cut both pieces into small, square chunks, sixteen in total. Now there were only eleven left.
The small meat cubes were roughly the size of a circle formed by touching his thumb and index finger together.
When he craved meat, he would take out a small piece, cut it into strips, and stir-fry it. This way, he could have a few more bites. Boiling a whole chunk like this was a first.
He really craved a large mouthful of meat.
During puberty, at thirteen or fourteen, he had a good appetite. One of the chefs employed by his family was particularly skilled at stewing and frying meat. Back then, he loved large chunks of stewed meat and tender fried meat patties. But his parents didn’t approve of him eating like that.
In the eyes of nobles, an Omega should maintain a perfect figure. Even during puberty, they shouldn’t indulge in excessive eating. Developing a large appetite could lead to an inability to control their cravings as adults, resulting in weight gain.
Many noble families had strict standards for appearance and figure. In families where affection was scarce, a beautiful Omega could be a bargaining chip, and discipline would be even stricter.
So, even though he loved it, he hadn’t indulged often. Besides, there were plenty of other delicious foods available then, so it hadn’t seemed like a big deal.
Steam rose from the small pot as the water bubbled and boiled. Shi Nuo opened the lid and skimmed off the foam.
With only one piece of meat, there wasn’t much foam. It was a good cut of meat, retaining its fragrance even after being frozen. The broth was clear, with shimmering oil on the surface.
After the stew was ready, smelling the aroma of meat, Shi Nuo sat at the table, his eyes brighter than usual.
The potato pieces were soft and infused with the meaty fragrance, even more delicious than usual. He scooped out the piece of meat with a spoon, blew on it gently, and couldn’t wait to eat it.
He put the large piece of meat in his mouth. Chewing it, his cheeks felt full, bringing him a deep sense of satisfaction.
Shi Nuo noticed that the temperature in the mornings and evenings was lower than before, but the midday sun was still scorching.
He didn’t go out much at noon. The house’s temperature control system kept the inside cool and comfortable.
He woke up from his nap, sat up, and touched his neck.
The bite mark was fading; he could barely feel it anymore.
Fortunately, it was only one bite. The white wolf, lacking a human form, had sharper fangs, leaving a deeper mark.
The scent gland area was different from other parts of the body. Even a deep bite wouldn’t cause excessive pain.
Shi Nuo rubbed his face and got out of bed to find his clothes.
He had intended to apply a pheromone suppressant patch to the back of his neck. For Alphas and Omegas, it was a social courtesy, preventing the unintentional release of pheromones and causing discomfort to others.
But then he remembered that they were legally married, and he had been temporarily marked. This habitual action seemed unnecessary now.
Shi Nuo opened the bedroom door. The clothes he wore when he went outside were placed by the door.
There were four holes in his pants from the creatures’ bites. Fortunately, the small beasts’ fangs were thin, and the holes were small. He looked at them and decided there was no need to mend them for now. He would just wear them as they were.
He had worn these clothes to dig up wild vegetables in the morning, which was why they weren’t in the bedroom.
The front door was closed. The windows had been set to privacy mode ever since he moved in. He could see clearly outside, but no one could see inside.
Shi Nuo quickly got dressed, drank half a glass of warm water, filled his water bottle, put it in his bucket, and went out.
He was familiar with the paths around the house. As he walked, he turned on his optical brain.
The signal was still weak and intermittent, unable to connect to the star network. This tidal storm had lasted for months, perhaps even longer. He didn’t know when it would end.
Contacting the outside world was still difficult.
Shi Nuo turned off the virtual screen. After months of solitude, he had barely spoken a word. Even if he could connect to the star network, he didn’t know who he would talk to.
His relationship with his family was strained. After being sent here, he had felt resentment, but now all hope for his family had vanished.
As for friends, he was timid and uninteresting. The Shi family was only a minor noble family, and the few people he associated with were mostly driven by self-interest. He was always included in their gatherings, but he wasn’t as close to them as they were to each other.
Furthermore, most of the noble Omegas he knew were already married, having fulfilled their arranged marriage duties. Even though the Elvis family was prominent, he was on a deserted planet, and his marriage partner was Hugh Elvis, who had lost his right to inheritance. The nobles he knew might sympathize with him, but they wouldn’t associate with him much.
His close friends from school had gone their separate ways after graduation. Now, with so many star systems and planets, they were scattered across the vast expanse of space. Separated by time and distance, they could only rely on communication devices to stay in touch. Sharing his negative emotions would only burden their busy lives.
The ground was uneven, and Shi Nuo, careful not to step into any holes, focused on the path ahead as he walked.
The sun was hidden behind the clouds, and the wind carried a dampness. The wide river came into view.
Even by the river, the Alpha’s assertive pheromones lingered.
Shi Nuo was no longer afraid of the unknown beasts on the other side of the river. He saw a branch stuck in the shallow water, the one he had forgotten to retrieve when he was attacked by the fish last time.
The fish in the river seemed different from the land animals. He wasn’t sure if the ferocious, predatory fish would be deterred by the white wolf’s pheromones, so he remained cautious.
He found another shallow area and, after staring at the small fish and shrimp for a while, came up with a clumsy plan.
The river was teeming with fish and shrimp. Although they were fast, they weren’t very wary when he squatted by the riverbank, only cautious of larger fish.
There were probably few fish-eating animals on land, and no one had fished here before.
Lacking a fishing net, and with no fishing tools in the house, Shi Nuo searched the riverbank and gathered a large pile of branches. Not finding enough on the ground, he used his knife to laboriously cut more from lower branches.
He planned to use the branches to enclose the shallow area. The branches were long and, when stuck into the riverbed, would protrude above the water surface, preventing the fish and shrimp from escaping. He might be able to catch some.
Shi Nuo took off his shoes, rolled up his pant legs high, and stepped into the shallow water. He kept an eye out for larger fish while sticking the branches into the riverbed, one next to the other, making a dense barrier so that even the smallest fish and shrimp couldn’t get through.
As he moved through the water, it became murky, and the fish and shrimp, startled, darted away but stayed in the shallows, their primary habitat.
Seeing that they hadn’t fled to deeper water, Shi Nuo felt encouraged.
The figure by the river busied himself, while in the shade of a distant tree, a pair of blue eyes watched.
The white beast, which had been lying down comfortably, was becoming increasingly irritated by the faint scent of the Omega carried on the wind.
