SCOM - Chapter 56
Chapter 56
Ji Yuezhi always planned several steps ahead. Before returning, he sensed Zuo Luohuan's foul mood and decided to visit her. Bringing the medical kit was a genuine offer to help bandage her wounds, but also an excuse to get close. Finding her apartment empty and knowing Yi Tong was at work, he guessed she'd be at Central City, where she often took him during his recent pheromone-induced episodes to soothe him with quiet conversation. Even in his haze, he hadn't missed the chance to subtly probe for information.
Knowing that apartment was Zuo Luohuan's regular retreat, he went there to find her. He deliberately chose the less-used car from the school parking lot, the one with barely any gas left. He'd checked the weather forecast: a heavy downpour was predicted within the hour. Before entering Central City's parking garage, he'd even made a small cut in a tire to cause a slow leak. If Zuo Luohuan brought him gas, the flat tire would still prevent him from leaving.
Fortunately, she invited him in. He was thrilled, especially when she agreed they could share the bed, even though it was large enough to keep them far apart. It didn't matter. He changed into the thinnest shirt from the clothes she offered and slipped under the covers. He'd been planning how to get closer to her, but the familiar scent of her pheromones on the bedding lulled him to sleep. The training exercise had exhausted him.
He woke to daylight, lying in the spot Zuo Luohuan had occupied the night before. He sat up, his white shirt rumpled, and went to the window. A light rain was falling. The capital was cooling down after yesterday's heat.
Ji Yuezhi was completely unaware that during the night, he'd snuggled up to Zuo Luohuan in his sleep. Captain Ji, always a proper sleeper, wouldn't know that sharing a bed with his beloved Alpha would trigger such unconscious closeness.
He emerged from the bedroom, his demeanor casual, his long, pale legs bare beneath the shirt. He hadn't thought to change; it was a habit from the past few days.
Zuo Luohuan, now calm and collected, had anticipated his waking time and ordered breakfast so it would be warm when he emerged. "Come eat," she said, turning to him. "The training exercise is over. Luo Shaoyuan and the others want to explore the capital, and the school asked us to take them."
The other school captains were visiting, so naturally, the First Military Academy captains would host them. Zuo Luohuan was essentially tagged along as a bodyguard.
Ji Yuezhi simply hummed in acknowledgement, his gaze falling on the table laden with a light yet nutritious breakfast, perfect for an Omega.
As he approached, the expanse of his exposed collarbone caught Zuo Luohuan's eye, his overall appearance strikingly soft, reminding her of how it felt to hold his waist. She snapped back to attention, pulled out a chair, and gently buttoned his shirt, her tone casual and teasing. "Captain Ji always says we should deduct points for improper attire. Shouldn't you lead by example?"
Ji Yuezhi watched her nimble fingers, his lashes fluttering before he met her gaze. "Do we deduct points at home, too?"
Zuo Luohuan paused, finished the last button, and met his eyes. "Let's eat," she said after a moment, not correcting his use of the word "home."
After breakfast, Zuo Luohuan waited for Ji Yuezhi to change. In the garage, his car wasn't just out of gas; one tire was completely flat. She chuckled. "Leaving your car at school for too long, Captain? Remember to maintain it regularly."
"I don't drive it often," he replied without a trace of guilt. Zuo Luohuan, absent the previous year, had no idea how many cars he kept parked there.
Zuo Luohuan raised an eyebrow, recalling Ji Xixiu frequently picking up his son from school. Ji Xixiu clearly doted on his son. Even while busy tracking down Gashro operatives during those few days, he'd found time to compile a list of Ji Yuezhi's preferences for her.
"I'll have it towed and sent back to school in a few days. Shall we take mine today?" she asked.
"Okay." Though the school assignment had disrupted his plans, this wasn't bad either.
This was his second time in her car, but not the same one. This was a classic SUV, black with gold rims, high off the ground, yet perfectly suited to their height. Inside, he immediately sensed that she drove this one regularly; it carried a stronger imprint of her scent than the previous car.
"You modified it?" he observed, glancing around.
"Yeah, reinforced glass and body," she said, watching him fasten his seatbelt before reversing out of the garage.
"Light gun resistant?"
She tapped the steering wheel, eyes on the road. "If I tell the truth, will Captain Ji report me?"
Light guns were military-grade, and materials that could withstand them weren't publicly available, except perhaps on the black market, a legal gray area.
Ji Yuezhi looked out the window. His earlier reprimands about deducting points had been a ploy to get her attention. Now, it was time for a change of plan. "I don't just report and deduct points," he said, still facing away.
Zuo Luohuan was taken aback. For so long, her teasing, provocative banter with him had been a carefully constructed facade. She'd never expected him to take it seriously.
She braked and pulled over, turning to him earnestly. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. You…"
He turned, his narrow eyes sweeping over her. "I haven't been to the black market."
Understanding dawned on her. She leaned back, relaxing. "If you want to go, I can take you sometime."
He simply replied, "Okay."
The momentary tension dissipated. The black SUV arrived at the First Military Academy gates, where Luo Shaoyuan, An Yingjing, and Cha Lili were waiting.
"Nice ride!" Luo Shaoyuan exclaimed, practically drooling as she ran her hand over the car's sleek exterior, even kicking a tire. "Custom rims? And I hear a modified engine, huh?"
The passenger window rolled down, revealing Ji Yuezhi inside, and then Zuo Luohuan in the driver's seat. Still caressing the car, Luo Shaoyuan couldn't resist a jab at the perceived First Military Academy pretentiousness. "Any car would do. Did you really have to go out of your way to pick us up in such a fancy one?"
An Yingjing mentally scoffed. Nine a.m., two people, same car, coming from outside… something was definitely up. Only a muscle-brained Alpha like Luo Shaoyuan would be oblivious, focused solely on the car.
Cha Lili was more perceptive, but having missed the night Zuo Luohuan took Ji Yuezhi away after the Gashro attack, he didn't connect their private interactions.
As the three settled into the back, Luo Shaoyuan excitedly rattled off a list of places she wanted to visit.
"Those cotton candies, they only sell them in the capital," she said, rubbing her hands together. "I've been dying to try them. I held off because of the training exercise, but since we lost anyway, I need to treat myself."
An Yingjing, beside her, was incredulous. "You, an Alpha, have a sweet tooth?"
Luo Shaoyuan bristled. "I don't discriminate against Omegas. Why are you discriminating against Alphas? Can't Alphas like sweets?"
An Yingjing was speechless.
"Cotton candy on a weekday?" Zuo Luohuan asked.
"Yeah! You must have tried them, right? Are they as good as everyone says?" Luo Shaoyuan gushed.
In the passenger seat, Ji Yuezhi fidgeted with his seatbelt. She hadn't tried them. He had. After his second temporary marking, he'd been unwell, the residual pheromones in his glands reacting against the Alpha's scent. He couldn't stomach anything and had to rely on nutrient injections. That afternoon, exhausted from the episode, he'd fallen asleep clutching Zuo Luohuan's jacket. She'd gone out and bought him boxes of cotton candy, among other things on his father's list of his favorites.
He'd had no appetite then, managing only a few bites of cotton candy.
"There are eighteen flavors. You can try them all," Zuo Luohuan said, pulling him back to the present.
"Let's try them all!" Luo Shaoyuan declared.
They parked across from the shop, and Zuo Luohuan turned to Ji Yuezhi. "Want some?"
He stared at her for a moment before nodding.
"Strawberry, cheese, peach…" Luo Shaoyuan rattled off flavors to Zuo Luohuan.
"Get out and buy your own," Zuo Luohuan said with a smile. "Do you not have hands and feet?"
Luo Shaoyuan glanced at Ji Yuezhi, then back at Zuo Luohuan. "Aren't you going to buy some?" The line outside was long; she didn't want to wait.
"Stinky Alpha," An Yingjing muttered loud enough for only Luo Shaoyuan to hear.
Then she remembered Ji Yuezhi was an Omega. Fine.
Zuo Luohuan and Luo Shaoyuan went to queue, waiting for an hour. "The restaurant closes at 12:30, and they stop serving at 11," Cha Lili said, checking his optical computer. "It's a forty-minute drive from here."
"They're almost at the front," An Yingjing said, looking out the window.
Five minutes later, Luo Shaoyuan returned with a large bag, Zuo Luohuan carrying only two boxes.
"How much did you buy?" Cha Lili asked as Luo Shaoyuan squeezed in, gesturing at the bag.
"Not much, just one box of each flavor. Only six in a box," she replied, settling between the two. "We'll finish them in no time."
"We need to leave. Eat on the way," Cha Lili said to Zuo Luohuan.
Zuo Luohuan got in, handed the two boxes to Ji Yuezhi, fastened her seatbelt, and started driving. Sounds of delight filled the car as Luo Shaoyuan opened the bag and distributed the cotton candy, its sweet aroma permeating the air.
"Here's one for you, and one for you," she said, handing boxes to the others, then placing two open boxes on her lap. "This one's good, and this one too!"
Though initially indifferent, Cha Lili and An Yingjing found the warm, freshly made cotton candy surprisingly delicious, the sweetness perfectly balanced. They continued eating.
Ji Yuezhi opened his boxes: strawberry and sweet orange, his favorites. He picked up a sweet orange one, but instead of eating it, he turned to Zuo Luohuan. "Want some?"
"I'm driving. You eat," she replied, eyes on the road.
Ji Yuezhi glanced at the others in the back, then held the cotton candy to Zuo Luohuan's lips. The warm, fluffy confection brushed against her mouth, surprising her. She looked down at the elegant fingers holding the perfectly round, white treat. As she opened her mouth, he offered it closer.
He withdrew his hand once she took a bite. The sugary shell gave way to the tart sweetness of orange filling, a perfect blend. "Good?" he asked.
She simply hummed in agreement.
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