Chapter 5: Green Eyes (5)

After finishing a late-night snack, Shen Qiuxun returned to the rental house. Turning on the light, his roommate still wasn’t back. This was nothing surprising; Xu Zhiyuan’s erratic comings and goings were the norm.

‘See, you can’t blame me for this. I can’t even find the guy.’

【…】 (System: When you could find him, I didn’t see you taking any action.)

Shen Qiuxun had recently discovered a BBQ shop tucked away at the end of an alley. It only opened from seven to eight every day. The raw ingredient was the sand rat, which was abundant on this planet. The desert was fraught with danger, so supply depended on luck.

At first, Shen Qiuxun strongly resisted the idea of eating rats. But the shopkeeper’s skill was superb. The roasted sand rat meat was tender and fragrant, outshining synthetic meat by miles.

Back in his room, Shen Qiuxun started browsing his Lightbrain. He’d shower and sleep when it was time, then savor a good night’s rest before his night shift tomorrow.

Shen Qiuxun wasn’t much for socializing. Besides bantering with Xu Zhiyuan, he’d only had more people to talk to after getting closer to Ellie. When he was home alone, all that remained was the rustle of wind outside the window and the creak of the bed frame.

He turned over again. After the creak-creak sounds, he suddenly heard a distinct heavy thud from outside the door. At first, he thought Xu Zhiyuan had brought back some stolen goods from the pharmacy, but strangely, after that one sound, the air returned to silence.

It was as abrupt as a murder scene.

The security on lower planets really wasn’t great.

Shen Qiuxun turned off his Lightbrain, stood up carefully, and pressed close to the door to listen intently for sounds outside. Still nothing.

He thought for a moment, then reached out and opened the door a crack, sticking his head out to look. The silver-haired man was curled up motionless at the entrance, an arm hanging down. He could faintly see dark-colored liquid staining the floor. It seemed he’d been trying to open the door but lacked the strength.

‘Is he dead?’

【Still showing vital signs.】

Shen Qiuxun braced his elbow against the door, not immediately getting close. He was afraid that if he went out, the guy might suddenly explode and kill him. The difference in strength was still somewhat considerable.

【Host, the time has come for a beauty saving the hero.】

‘This is called a hero saving a man.’

【That’s not important.】

Rolling his eyes, Shen Qiuxun still didn’t go get the small knife from the cabinet. The gap in strength was too large; this knife might just end up stabbed into himself.

He carefully crept over to the doorway. Xu Zhiyuan was curled against the wall. Getting closer, a faint, scorching heat wafted towards him. The man’s body was trembling, his neck covered in a fine layer of sweat. Veins bulged, and his chest heaved visibly, like a fireball on the verge of exploding, teetering on the edge of losing control.

Before he could react, the man suddenly slammed his head against the wall as if shocked by a stimulus. “Thud, thud, thud”—the sound hammered into the eardrums. Red liquid splattered, rolling down the concrete wall.

“…”

Pressing his lips together, Shen Qiuxun was a little afraid he’d bash his own brains out. He reached out and lifted the man’s face.

The man seemed to flinch.

Bending down, his hand brushed aside the slightly damp hair on Xu Zhiyuan’s forehead. Suddenly, he met a pair of fierce, dark-green eyes, like overcast clouds churning. It was as if he’d been targeted by a ravenous wolf in the wild—cold and ruthless.

His wrist was caught in a burning-hot grip and held in mid-air. But the other man didn’t move. Only a frantic heartbeat transmitted through the point of contact, tainted with sticky sweat.

Shen Qiuxun tried to pull his hand free, but the grip only tightened.

Pitch-black pupils, like the calm, waveless surface of a lake—serene and all-encompassing, capable of soothing a weary, unhinged, frenzied, tormented soul.

The savage roar in his ear suddenly quieted. It was as if cool lake water drenched him from head to toe, opening every parched pore on his body.

His chaotic, disordered mental world was embraced by a gentle cold spring, parting the clouds in the darkness, revealing a sliver of moonlight.

Dark clouds rolled. A hint of grass-green light spilled out. Xu Zhiyuan’s eyes trembled, his palm tightly encircling that wrist. Suddenly, a sigh, incongruous and abrupt, escaped his throat: “Ah-ha…”

Shen Qiuxun felt this was completely baffling. Goosebumps erupted all over his body. He tried to take a step back.

But he had clearly underestimated this world’s Alphas’ cunning and greed. The second he let his guard down, he was pounced upon and pinned to the ground like a helpless kitten. They rolled once on the floor. Luckily, the back of his head only knocked against the man’s palm; it didn’t hurt.

Due to gravity, Shen Qiuxun’s bangs flopped upward, his smooth, full forehead and striking features unexpectedly barreling into the other man’s vision. The crease of his double eyelids spread deep and wide, almost like lingering willow branches, startling the swallow-tail at the corner of his eyes into flight. Below lay a tranquil, waveless lake—clear, cool, reminiscent of that teardrop from that other night.

A bead of blood from the man’s forehead dripped onto Shen Qiuxun’s cheek. It was vibrant, shockingly red.

Xu Zhiyuan froze. Rich luster swirled in his eyes. His thumb traced the path of that teardrop down, his face flushing. Sweat dampened his sharp brows and eyes, leaving him in a dazed expression. He met the other’s gaze and his own eyes trembled. Instinctively, he looked away, only to discover another exquisite feature on this face.

Beneath that mouth that always uttered insufferable words, there was actually an exquisite mole. Staring at this mole, the heat in his heart, like oil thrown onto a fire, suddenly blazed up fiercely, raging into an even greater conflagration than before.

As if he’d found the source of that attraction, he unconsciously leaned closer, sniffing around like a wolf-dog scenting its prey. He wanted to analyze this mole with his muddled consciousness, figure out what kind of weapon this mole was, what clever mechanism lay behind it.

But what kindled in his eyes was clearly another kind of desire.

The distance closed step by step. Just as he was about to touch it, Shen Qiuxun suddenly clamped a hand over his mouth. Finding it insufficient, he added the other hand—a double seal.

【Intimate contact helps with emotional progress, you know.】 The System, playing dead for ages, silently interjected.

“Thanks, but I sell my skills, not my body.” Shen Qiuxun rolled his eyes with restraint.

The next second, his pupils trembled—the damn man licked his palm. A sticky, wet heat transmitted from his palm to his entire body like lightning. Shen Qiuxun’s expression finally cracked. He instinctively released his hands, throwing them up in a surrender gesture.

The man licked the corner of his mouth, seemingly not yet satisfied. Then he lowered his head and sniffed like a puppy, his lips wandering near the corner of Shen Qiuxun’s mouth, worrying that little mole like a dog gnawing on a bone. The wet, hot sensation grazed his skin. Pushing him away was useless; he wouldn’t budge. Shen Qiuxun’s features scrunched into a knot.

The delicate mole under his lip was chafed red and raw. The snow atop an icy peak was melting, looking utterly pitiful.

The scent of strong liquor pheromones overflowed. The Beta, unable to perceive smell, was completely unaware.

Xu Zhiyuan’s eyes were red-rimmed, looking utterly aggrieved.

Wolves really are creatures skilled in deception.

But Shen Qiuxun’s struggling strength was far too insignificant. He couldn’t succeed. Lifting his gaze, he saw the steel cabinet behind Xu Zhiyuan, and his eyes lit up as if seeing a savior.

Seizing the right moment, he kicked hard. The robot on top of the steel cabinet wobbled, became unsteady, and fell, landing with a heavy thud right on the back of the man’s head. After a muffled groan, the robot bounced off and crashed onto the floor, shattering into pieces.

Xu Zhiyuan collapsed with the sound and finally quieted down.

Shen Qiuxun let out a breath. He reached up to wipe the stuff off his face and viciously kicked the man away. The man groaned, his whole body still radiating heat, still trembling.

“Pheromone Imbalance Syndrome?”

【The symptoms match.】

“How is it solved?” Didn’t this guy say it wouldn’t act up on him? Fing liar!

【Suppressant.】

Shen Qiuxun rested for a moment. He fished out a bundle of rope from beneath the cabinet and tied the man up securely. He also stuffed a cloth strip onto the wound on the back of his head. Before leaving, he even kicked him once more in retaliation to vent his anger.

Not sure where he kicked, but the man unconsciously shifted his face a little closer.

After that, he fished out his own wire and went to pick the lock on Xu Zhiyuan’s door.

This man always hoarded some medicine or other at home.

Shen Qiuxun wasn’t that kind-hearted, but if he didn’t get some medicine, what if this guy woke up and went into berserker mode again? Just wait to die?

The room layout was no different from his own: a bed, a table, a cabinet. Shen Qiuxun searched meticulously. Nothing. There was nothing at all in this damn place. Broke. Even poorer than him!

“What now, then? It’s freezing out there. Can’t go buy suppressant at this hour, can I? Would he even make it back?”

【…】 (System’s silent message.)

Shen Qiuxun carefully recalled the symptoms of this guy. After a moment, he decided to try cooling him down with a cold shower first.

He restored the room to its original state, locked the door, and went back. Xu Zhiyuan still hadn’t woken up. He reached down, grabbed the rope around his shoulders, and dragged the man into the bathroom. The bathroom was very cramped; with a person lying down in it, there was barely any room to stand.

It took Shen Qiuxun ages to get it sorted. The stream of water drenched the man. Wet hair plastered to his face. The thin vest became somewhat transparent, clinging tightly to the undulating muscles. The muscles slowly rose and fell in the dim environment, vaguely visible, possessing a unique kind of sexiness.

But Shen Qiuxun clearly wasn’t very interested. He was forced to huddle in one corner of the bathroom, holding the shower head, staring blankly.

The System carefully observed its Host’s expression. His expression was grave, as if pondering some difficult problem. Following his line of sight, it saw… a certain place Jinjiang forbids mentioning.

???

【Host, you…】

‘Why? We’re both men, but how can his be so big?’

【…】 (System was speechless.)

Shen Qiuxun found this completely defying common sense. He stroked his chin, his face full of question marks: He considered himself roughly around the average for an adult male… no, wait, how could it be so big?!

‘Is this also part of that Alpha superiority?’ Shen Qiuxun racked his brains, then silently opened the data file the System had sent him before. He noticed the trait “strong reproductive capability” and silently mouthed a “Wow.”

【…】 The System felt its Host’s focus might be a bit off. The Host’s reaction also seemed a bit off. Normally speaking… he should at least show some shyness towards a potential romantic interest. What was with this academic, research-oriented tone?

With an attitude of getting to the bottom of things, Shen Qiuxun carefully studied the document and finally got an affirmative answer. Immediately, his expression looked like he’d eaten shit—utterly astounded, mixed with a trace of indescribable shock.

Done with the academic inquiry, Shen Qiuxun turned his concern to physical matters. After hesitating for a bit, he covered the man’s eyes with a cloth strip, then quickly stripped and took a hot shower himself. Water flowed down over jade-like skin, pooling in a small hollow at his collarbone.

Because the space was cramped, he had to brace himself against the wall for balance. His pale calf occasionally brushed against the man’s wheat-colored skin. Beads of water trickled down, over his shoulders and neck, his chest, then down along his elbow. Two drops accidentally landed on the sleeping man’s lips, and those lips subconsciously pursed to taste them.

Rough fingers twitched, scraping against a moon-like sensation in the dim gloom.

Unconscious pheromones quietly wrapped around his body, like a giant python in the jungle, coiling around its prey and refusing to let go.

That shower was unbelievably pathetic. Fortunately, Shen Qiuxun was careful and didn’t slip and fall, crushing the man to death. While bending down to dry his calves, he suddenly made a new discovery. He stretched out his foot to compare it with Xu Zhiyuan’s palm. How were they roughly the same size?

Unbelievable.

By the time the water shut off at ten o’clock, Xu Zhiyuan was cold as a corpse. Shen Qiuxun even cautiously checked his heartbeat before sighing in relief. Then, with great effort, he dragged the man back to the bedroom, leaving a trail of wet streaks along the way.

Back in the room, Shen Qiuxun sat on the edge of the bed, discussing with the System whether leaving a person on the floor like this overnight would cause problems.

【Generally speaking, no. But he is currently in a Bonding Heat period. His body is very fragile.】

‘So that’s a “yes, it’s a problem,” huh.’ Shen Qiuxun was dead tired. He tossed a towel onto his head with a wooden face. Luckily, vests and cargo pants were easy to take off—pulling, dragging, yanking, not an ounce of politeness in his movements. Finally, he found a towel from his room, haphazardly dabbed at the water, and threw a blanket over him, marking the task complete.

Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and burrow into his own bed to sleep.

‘Bonding Heat generally lasts five to seven days… Tomorrow I’ll go buy him suppressant. Otherwise, he’s dead.’

【Understood, Host.】 Goodnight, it added silently.