SCOM - Chapter 50
Chapter 50
“Breakfast is ready, we should head back to school.” Zuo Luohuan placed the breakfast on the table. Out of habit, she almost reached out to take Ji Yuezhi’s hand, but stopped herself. It had only been a few days, and she'd already developed a habit. She tucked the hand she’d almost extended behind her back.
Ji Yuezhi waited for the Alpha to take his hand, but when she didn't, he remembered after a moment that their temporary mark had faded.
Lost in their own thoughts, they finished breakfast in silence.
Because the timing of a temporary mark's disappearance is unpredictable, Ji Xixiu hadn't sent anyone to pick them up. Zuo Luohuan drove herself, taking Ji Yuezhi back to school.
…
Rain fell outside. As the car stopped at the school gate, Zuo Luohuan told Ji Yuezhi to wait. She undid her seatbelt, got out, and retrieved two black umbrellas from the trunk.
“Let’s go.” Zuo Luohuan opened one umbrella and then Ji Yuezhi’s door. After he got out, she handed him the umbrella.
Ji Yuezhi glanced at the other umbrella in her hand before turning to leave.
“Wait.” Zuo Luohuan suddenly grabbed Ji Yuezhi’s arm. When he turned around, she lowered her voice and said earnestly, “About the temporary mark… I’m sorry.”
Before marking him in the infirmary, Zuo Luohuan had promised to apologize once he was conscious. She simply hadn't accounted for the fact that someone in the throes of heat wouldn't have heard her.
Ji Yuezhi felt a chill upon hearing her apology. After a moment of heavy silence, he said, “It was just a temporary mark. You don’t need to apologize.”
Just a temporary mark…
Hearing his words confirmed Zuo Luohuan’s suspicions, suppressing the other emotions that stirred within her.
The rain intensified, pounding heavily on the black umbrella before slowly dripping to the ground.
“It’s raining heavily. Let’s go in.” Zuo Luohuan stepped out from under his umbrella, leaving the other one unopened. She quickly rounded the front of the car and got back into the driver’s seat.
Ji Yuezhi pursed his lips and turned, gripping the umbrella handle tightly to steady himself.
Zuo Luohuan watched him enter the school gates before driving to the underground parking lot.
…
The entire capital had been under tight security for the past few days, with numerous arrests made. The Gashro’s sneak attack on the First Military Academy had been a complete failure. Zuo Luohuan wondered if the Gashro who devised the plan would be furious.
“Plans never survive contact with the enemy. Who would have guessed An Yingjing wouldn’t be sleeping that night?” Jiang Hong started chattering as soon as he saw Zuo Luohuan. “If they had actually managed to attack An Yingjing, the Gashro’s plan would have been half successful.”
Zuo Luohuan toyed with the soft blade in her hand. “If the Gashro had infiltrated the cafeteria, their plan wouldn’t have failed.”
“The cafeteria?” Jiang Hong thought for a moment. “We all eat there. If they’d poisoned the food, we’d all be done for.”
Zuo Luohuan put away her blade. “That’s why the cafeteria is the one place they didn’t touch.”
The cafeteria had numerous checkpoints and rigorous inspections, no less stringent than the Purifier Corps. Any anomaly would be thoroughly investigated.
“By the way, why weren’t you and Captain Ji at school these past few days?” Jiang Hong suddenly asked.
He had assumed they were taken to the Military Council to report on the situation, but the Jiang family’s information network hadn’t picked up anything related. He hadn’t specifically investigated; Zuo Luohuan didn’t like him prying into her affairs.
“Something came up.”
“Something came up for both you and Captain Ji?”
Zuo Luohuan glanced at him, her voice cool. “What’s it to you?”
“Nothing!” Jiang Hong immediately raised his hands in surrender, changing the subject. “The second round of the war games has been pushed back to next Thursday. The day after tomorrow, the school is holding a funeral for the deceased cadets.”
During Zuo Luohuan’s absence, the visiting students, especially An Yingjing, had received condolences and gifts from all sides, practically drowning in nutrient supplements. Luo Shaoyuan from the Northern Military Academy had, however, managed to snag a good portion of them, claiming it was because she was the first to rush to An Yingjing’s rescue and had been injured in the process.
“Most of our team has visited him already,” Jiang Hong said, looking at Zuo Luohuan. “Only you and the Captain haven’t.”
“He didn’t die, did he?” Zuo Luohuan hadn’t paid attention to An Yingjing’s condition that night, but Qian Mao had mentioned it.
“He didn’t, but it happened at our academy.” Jiang Hong explained. “Out of courtesy, we should still visit him.”
Figuring Ji Yuezhi would likely visit An Yingjing in the afternoon, Zuo Luohuan stood up. “I’ll go tonight.”
In reality, when Zuo Luohuan went to visit An Yingjing at seven that evening, Ji Yuezhi wasn't there. Upon entering, she saw An Yingjing sitting on the bed, eating. He looked far from thin; his face was, in fact, quite round.
“G, you actually came.” An Yingjing looked up, noticing Zuo Luohuan’s empty hands. His tone was sarcastic. “No gift?”
Aside from Ji Yuezhi, Zuo Luohuan found Omegas less interesting than a rock blocking her path. She pulled over a chair and sat down, her tone indifferent. “Who’s ‘gift’? Don’t know them.”
“You…” An Yingjing’s lips twitched. He snatched a basket of fruit from Luo Shaoyuan. Tsk tsk, they disappeared for days. He’d never seen a temporary mark have such a lasting effect. Anyone who didn't know better would think they were bonding and going through their heats together.
Luo Shaoyuan wiped an apple on her shirt, took a large bite, and asked Zuo Luohuan, “Is Ji Yuezhi back? I haven’t thanked him for that night yet.”
“Can’t you just send a message?” Zuo Luohuan said coldly. “Do you really need to thank him in person? You weren’t so polite before.”
Luo Shaoyuan choked on her apple. After a moment, she regained her composure. “Zuo Luohuan, are you crazy? It’s just thanking Ji Yuezhi. Why are you snapping at me?”
Zuo Luohuan stared at her impassively, her fingers twitching. She really wanted to fight the Alpha across from her.
An Yingjing, having figured out most of the situation, grabbed Luo Shaoyuan and stuffed a bunch of grapes into her hand. Alphas and their possessive tendencies after just a temporary mark.
Having fulfilled her superficial obligation, Zuo Luohuan got up to leave.
Luo Shaoyuan couldn’t help but mutter insults under her breath, mainly about getting even during the second round.
“The person who wiped out your entire team in the first round is sitting right next to you,” Zuo Luohuan turned back, offering a helpful reminder with a laugh.
Luo Shaoyuan froze, looking at the half-eaten grapes in her hand, then at An Yingjing on the bed. Suddenly, they weren’t so appetizing.
An Yingjing: “…”
The moment she stepped out of the dorm, Zuo Luohuan’s expression vanished. When alone, this was her true face.
However, as she descended the stairs and encountered Ji Yuezhi coming up, her face clearly faltered.
The stairwell was lit, and the sounds of patrolling guards drifted in from outside. Zuo Luohuan stood on the last step of the landing, while Ji Yuezhi stood on the top step of the landing below. They both looked at each other in profile.
“Visiting An Yingjing?” Zuo Luohuan walked down first, initiating the conversation.
“Yes.” Ji Yuezhi ascended the stairs, and they stood on the same landing.
He had returned to his usual cool and aloof demeanor, but Zuo Luohuan recalled the Ji Yuezhi from the past few days, the one who had looked at her with those beautiful, moist eyes.
After replying, Ji Yuezhi tried to move past her, but she stopped him with a hand. He looked up at her quietly.
Zuo Luohuan had reached out subconsciously. By the time she realized what she’d done, it was too late. She quickly came up with an excuse. “Captain, don’t lose next week’s war games.”
Ji Yuezhi frowned slightly. “You’re on our team too.”
Zuo Luohuan withdrew her hand, giving a casual laugh and reverting to her usual self. “…Right, you’re right.”
With nothing left to say, they parted ways. Ji Yuezhi felt a sense of satisfaction, having seen her before she left. The temporary mark had just faded, and he was uncomfortable without the soothing effect of Alpha pheromones. Knowing Zuo Luohuan would visit in the evening, he had deliberately chosen this time to see An Yingjing. Having already done so much, he didn't mind manipulating the situation one more time.
…
The school funeral arrived as scheduled. Everyone stood solemnly in their uniforms, listening to the principal’s eulogy. From the day they entered the academy, they knew they might one day make the ultimate sacrifice. No one expected it to come so soon.
Three cadets had died fighting the Gashro.
The Omega cadet who had survived stood at the front, eyes red, silently shedding tears. The events of that night were deeply etched in her mind, replaying in her nightmares.
From the moment she noticed something was wrong, to her senior holding back the Gashro while she ran for help, the wind whistling past her ears, she had only one thought: Zuo Luohuan is in the Alpha dormitory, along with many other strong people. As long as I sound the alarm, we’ll be safe. But she hadn't made it. Just as she reached the front of the Alpha dormitory, the pursuing Gashro caught her and dragged her into the bushes. She could only release as much of her pheromones as possible, hoping an Alpha would notice. Under normal circumstances, releasing a large amount of pheromones in a short period caused immense pain. However, that pain was nothing compared to the agony of the Gashro’s curved blade slicing her throat. She struggled desperately, the survival techniques her senior had taught her flashing through her mind. She used them.
And she had been found. An Alpha had noticed the unusual pheromones and come to her rescue. But her senior hadn't waited for rescue. He had died without even knowing if she had successfully sounded the alarm.
Overwhelmed with grief, the Omega cadet swayed on her feet.
Ji Yuezhi, who had been watching her, stepped forward and supported her. “Are you alright?”
The Omega cadet turned to look at Ji Yuezhi, the head of their Disciplinary Committee. That night, he had directed the cadets on the south side to join up with those on the north side, and then gone to rescue the visiting students.
“Senior Ji…” the Omega cadet asked faintly, “What was my senior thinking before he died?”
“I don’t know, but the people of the First Military Academy are not only blades pointed at the enemy, but also shields protecting their comrades.” Ji Yuezhi said softly. “You survived. You successfully alerted everyone. That’s the best way to honor him.”
The Omega cadet finally broke down, sobbing. “I was useless. I couldn’t stop that Gashro.”
“You’re just a freshman.” Ji Yuezhi handed her a tissue.
No one was surprised by the Omega cadet’s tears. Anyone who had been through such an ordeal, witnessing the death of someone who protected them, would have reached their breaking point. It was a miracle she had held on for so long.
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