Chapter 38: The Healing Instructor Part 2

He turned to Shen Yuxiu. “Sound right? Was I too hard-line before? That why nobody likes me?”

“…”

A flicker of pain crossed Shen Yuxiu’s eyes.

Xu Song’an cradled the kitten without meeting his gaze, staring instead at his freshly trimmed nails. “It’s not like that… Instructor, that guy was brutal. You’re not pissed?”

“Eh, what’s to be pissed about?” Lin Jianxi gazed out the window. “We all carry baggage. Offbeat speech, odd habits? Just means life’s been rough. Who wouldn’t trade it for bubbly airhead bliss if they could?”

Xu Song’an’s petting hand stilled, quivering faintly.

“So this trainee group’s solid—no wild antics. I’m the glitch.” Lin Jianxi sighed at Shen Yuxiu. “Leave later. Let me wrap their practical training at least. Fairer that way for the next instructor—and for them.”

Shen Yuxiu: “Why keep that crap from me?”

Lin Jianxi laughed. “We’re grown-ass adults now. Gotta sort some shit solo. You’re my husband, not Mom.”

He turned with a wave. “Carry on. I’m hitting the store for smokes.”

The door clicked shut, severing the final sliver of sunlight.

Lin Jianxi lingered in the shadowed hallway, phone in hand, firing off a message to the protagonist.

【。】: Thanks. I get it now—what to do.

【。】: Xu Song’an and Shen Yuxiu were talking family matters in the office. If possible, don’t spread their private business around, okay?

Lin Jianxi hit send and let out a heavy sigh before heading to the small shop to buy some smokes.

Facing the sunset, he spotted a few trainees who’d stayed behind for extra practice on the training field. On impulse, he grabbed a bag of water and brought it over to them.

The trainees straightened up at the sight of him, their expressions tense. Their eyes flicked over his clothes, a hint of puzzlement in their gazes.

“Drink up. No poison in it.”

“. . .”

Lin Jianxi dropped those words and turned around—only to run straight into three men in suits.

They looked a bit familiar.

Some department head, maybe . . . ?

The leader stepped forward and offered a handshake. “Mr. Lin, long time no see. Last time we met was two months ago, when you were my bodyguard. You got any free time these days?”

“. . .”

Lin Jianxi thought it over. To blend into this world early on, he’d taken on a frenzy of jobs—too many faces to keep track of. This guy was just vaguely recognizable.

He smiled. “Sorry, not feeling well lately.”

The man got it right away. Omega troubles—nothing but that one thing. He sighed with regret. “Your performance on that last job was outstanding. A lot of my friends have been asking for you, but I didn’t have your contact info, so I had to come in person. You should remember one of them. He says he got you drunk that day and feels bad—wants to apologize to your face.”

Ah.

Lin Jianxi did remember the drinking incident.

He’d been a bodyguard for one client that night, but the employer hadn’t been the target—instead, he’d gotten marked. Somehow, a top-tier Alpha’s pheromones had left him dizzy and disoriented, and he’d ended up dragged into the banquet hall’s storage room.

The guy had pinned his hands over his head against the wall and force-fed him booze.

Lin Jianxi couldn’t recall what the man looked like—too close to see the whole picture. The features had seemed decent enough, though.

What stuck with him most was the liquor.

Damn good stuff.

High proof, too. It went straight to his head. The next thing he knew, he was on his knees coughing it up . . . and pretty sure he’d asked for another bottle . . . ?

Total blackout after that.

Lin Jianxi said, “Just tell him not to worry about it.”

The man paused. “He wants to meet you.”

Lin Jianxi replied meaningfully, “My husband’s been keeping a close eye on me lately.”

“. . .” The man let out a knowing laugh. “Won’t keep you, then. Until next time, Mr. Lin.”

~~~

“Wait!” Lin Jianxi suddenly remembered something and chased after him. “How old was that guy?”

The man said, “Around twenty.”

The protagonist . . . ?

Lin Jianxi nodded thoughtfully before bidding the man farewell.

No, that didn’t add up. If it’d been the protagonist in such close contact, he would’ve recognized the pheromone scent by now and shut down that whole shady operation.

Just some random nobody, then.

~~~

Lin Jianxi had noticed lately that an awful lot of trainees were coming down with heatstroke.

During afternoon training, he stood by watching as one after another keeled over. Xu Song’an held out the longest, so Lin Jianxi called a halt and told the Lead Instructor, “Rest for today. I’ll take them tomorrow.”

The Lead Instructor blinked in confusion. “It’s not even that hot . . .”

Lin Jianxi summoned a bunch of staff to cart the trainees off to the infirmary. Xu Song’an stood there with his arms crossed over his chest, watching the chaos, then spoke up. “Instructor, you gonna go find out why?”

Lin Jianxi nodded and headed for the infirmary.

He stopped on the way to buy a bunch of fruit, figuring he’d share it around.

Xu Song’an helped carry the bags and leaned against the wall in the corner. Lin Jianxi started to ask, “Why not go in . . . ?”

Before he could finish, voices drifted out from inside—

“You guys okay? So many fainting at once—how’s he supposed to handle it?”

“Whose fault is that? Who wouldn’t want him carrying them?”

“Enough already. No one’s getting a turn today anyway. Quiet down—it’s annoying.”

“I don’t care. Can we line up tomorrow? One hour each.”

“Hey, that could work.”

“. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .”

. . . ?

???

Lin Jianxi’s hand started itching again.

He was so pissed he almost laughed. Xu Song’an peeled an orange segment and held it to his lips. Lin Jianxi froze for a second. “Feeling better?”

Xu Song’an’s smile was gorgeous. “Little Cat’s got healing powers.”

Lin Jianxi bit into the orange. “If you like that one, I can keep him for you. Give him back when you leave.”

“But I’ll miss him.”

“Then come by the house to see him. We’re not strangers,” Lin Jianxi said, his expression easing. “How’d things go with your brother today, anyway?”

“. . .” Xu Song’an tossed the peel into the bag. “Pretty good.”

Relieved, Lin Jianxi turned and pushed into the ward. He rapped on the doorframe. “What’s with all the heated chatter?”

Everyone: “. . . . . . . . . . . . . .”

Lin Jianxi passed out fruit to the trainees. Every time he stopped at one of their beds, the kid flinched. Lin Jianxi chuckled. “I’m not gonna hit you. What’s with the shaking?”

The infirmary—which was usually dead quiet—filled that afternoon with wails and howls of apology.

“Instructor, I was wrong!!!!!”

“Waaahhh!!”

“Dude, your crying’s gross. Move—let me cry!!”

. . .

~~~

~~~

Time flew by. Five days later, ever since Lin Jianxi had switched up his teaching methods, the trainees’ provocations had died down a bit. They still acted up when the mood struck, though.

And Lin Jianxi hadn’t gone easy on the tough love.

No real change there.

The one difference was that after training, the trainees now liked to stick around and chat.

Almost every one who graduated from here went on to make something of themselves. Officially, most were bodyguards, but they also got drilled in other coursework and hooked up with top-shelf employer connections. That alone put them miles ahead in networking.

A little hustle, and becoming a company pillar was a no-brainer.

Lin Jianxi enjoyed shooting the breeze with them, at least. It let him spot their weak points and tailor his lessons accordingly.

This week was practical training. Lin Jianxi was digging through a stack of files, hunting for suitable employers for internships, when he suddenly noticed Shen Yuxiu knocking back drinks.

Lin Jianxi curiously set aside the documents and walked over to snatch the wine bottle into his arms. “It’s rare to see you drinking. Did something happen?”

“No.” Shen Yuxiu pressed a hand to his forehead. “I just felt like having some.”

“Then you should’ve called me.” Lin Jianxi grabbed a glass. “I want some too.”

As Lin Jianxi poured the wine, he suddenly noticed the bookshelf across from them and paused mid-motion.

The protagonist hadn’t contacted him in ages.

Something clicked in Lin Jianxi’s mind, and he asked, “Did someone do something to you?”

“No, it’s a family matter. My foster father.”

Lin Jianxi set the bottle down and pulled Shen Yuxiu’s head into his embrace. “It’s okay. If it hurts, you can tell me about it.”

Shen Yuxiu fell silent for a moment before letting out a muffled “Mm.”

Lin Jianxi kept Shen Yuxiu company as they drank quite a bit. By the end, drowsiness overtook him, and he slumped over the table in a hazy stupor. But afternoon training awaited, so he dragged himself to the Training Field in a daze.

The trainees were already lined up.

He watched for a moment and spotted one fiddling with his phone.

Lin Jianxi instinctively strode over to confiscate it—only to realize he’d forgotten his Punishment Cane.

The closer he got to his Heat Period, the weaker he felt. Right now, he needed the cane just to manage.

The trainee noticed him and quietly slipped the phone into his pants pocket. He stared at Lin Jianxi with wide, pitiful eyes.

“Are you dating someone?”

“No.”

“Then what are you looking at?”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the trainee replied, “Instructor, just slap me.”

Lin Jianxi chuckled. “What’s going on with you?”

The trainee suddenly threw his arms around him and burst into tears. “Wahhh, Instructor, I miss my mom! I was just looking at her photo, wahhh!”

Everyone else: “…”

What the hell? A new trick?

Lin Jianxi felt a pang of sorrow too. He patted the trainee’s back. “Go rest under the tree.”

While the other trainees trained, Lin Jianxi sat beneath the tree and listened to the one pour out stories about his “mom.” The tale was so poignant and heartbreaking that Lin Jianxi grew more and more emotional. In the end, he turned his head aside and shed two tears.

The trainee: “…”

Panicking, the trainee flailed about. “Instructor, don’t— I was just—”

Lin Jianxi’s vision suddenly went dark.

Someone had plopped a baseball cap on his head.

Only Xu Song’an wore one around here. Lin Jianxi didn’t need to see his face to know who it was.

Xu Song’an handed him a tree branch he’d snapped off at some point.

Lin Jianxi took it, momentarily stunned.

Xu Song’an’s voice drifted down from above. “Sorry, Instructor. I left formation without permission. Punish me.”

“…”

Xu Song’an slipped his hands under Lin Jianxi’s arms to help him to his feet, draping an arm lightly across his shoulders.

His breath brushed Lin Jianxi’s ear.

“You’d better control your emotions. When you cried just now, your Inhibitor Patch got soaked.”