SCOM - Chapter 75
Chapter 75
After temporarily marking Ji Yuezhi and releasing a large amount of pheromones, Zuo Luohuan calmed down considerably. She pulled him inside, intending to take him back to her room, but Ji Yuezhi leaned directly against her shoulder, exhaustion evident between his brows. He wasn't in heat, so the marking had taken a significant toll on him. Zuo Luohuan swallowed the words that had been on the tip of her tongue. Gently, she covered Ji Yuezhi's eyes, urging him to rest.
The Omega was truly tired and fell asleep against the Alpha's shoulder. Zuo Luohuan listened to his breathing gradually slow and deepen before removing her hand. Looking down at him, she observed his refined and handsome face, his long eyelashes like raven feathers. His lips were slightly flushed from their earlier intimacy, and even in sleep, a subtle allure clung to him, unconsciously captivating.
She held him for a while, waiting until she was completely calm before gently placing him on the bed and covering him with a blanket. She stood by the bed, watching him for a long moment before turning to leave.
The next morning, Ji Yuezhi woke up to an empty room. He sat on the bed for a moment, dazed, before getting up and walking out of the bedroom. Still, there was no sign of Zuo Luohuan. On the table lay a pheromone patch, clearly meant for him. After a moment of silence, Ji Yuezhi applied it to the gland on the back of his neck and opened the door to go out.
“Ji…” Luo Shaoyuan also happened to be opening her door, intending to go to the restaurant for breakfast. Seeing Ji Yuezhi, she instinctively greeted him, then abruptly realized he was coming out of the wrong room. “Why are you coming out of Zuo Luohuan’s room?” She had clearly seen them enter their separate rooms the night before, just like always. Why was Ji Yuezhi coming out of Zuo Luohuan’s room, still in his sleepwear? Surely, there was no need to keep up the act now.
“We switched rooms last night,” Zuo Luohuan explained, appearing from around the corner of the hallway, carrying a bag of takeout breakfast, before Ji Yuezhi could speak.
“Oh… what are we doing today?” Luo Shaoyuan didn’t think much of it, reflexively asking her question.
“Nothing much. Lu Hui, the missing member of the 377th Army, has been found,” Zuo Luohuan said to Luo Shaoyuan as she walked up to Ji Yuezhi.
“Then I’ll go eat first.” Luo Shaoyuan nodded to them both and turned towards the elevator. As the elevator descended, she suddenly recalled the bag in Zuo Luohuan’s hand. The hotel offered room service; why bother with takeout? However, it was a minor detail, and Luo Shaoyuan didn’t dwell on it. The elevator had reached the restaurant level; it was time for breakfast.
“Hungry?” Zuo Luohuan lifted the bag in her hand. “I brought some breakfast. Want to eat together?”
Ji Yuezhi pursed his lips and looked at her, not moving, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. He stood at his doorway, the door still slightly ajar, likely having just stepped out.
Zuo Luohuan took a step forward, reaching past him to push the door open before taking his hand and leading him inside. The takeout contained all of Ji Yuezhi’s favorite foods. She remembered all his preferences, though she had learned them from his father.
They sat down and ate in silence. Zuo Luohuan hadn’t stayed at the hotel the previous night. She had left directly to join the Winter Army in their search for the missing Lu Hui and his squad. Lu Hui had been on Xijiang Exile Star for twenty years and knew the terrain like the back of his hand, which was why they hadn’t been able to find any trace of him for so long.
“Where’s his son?” Zuo Luohuan asked the person beside her.
“He was working at a company in the West District last year, but he went missing a few days ago.”
Zuo Luohuan frowned. Given the timing of his disappearance, Lu Hui’s son was likely no longer in the Federation. The Federation punished traitors and monitored their families. If Lu Hui had truly betrayed the Federation, he would have made arrangements for his son’s escape long before his own discovery.
“I know a place,” Yan Yan’s father, looking considerably more haggard than usual, approached them with a weary expression. “It’s a place we used to go to when we first arrived on Xijiang Exile Star. It’s quite remote, but there’s a beautiful lake there, much like the ones back in our hometown.” Yan Yan’s father had grown up with Lu Hui, joined the military with him, and even now, he couldn’t understand why Lu Hui would do such a thing.
Late that night, Zuo Luohuan led a team, following Yan Yan’s father to the lake. When they arrived, Lu Hui was indeed there, sitting by the lake, gazing at the dark water in the night, clearly awaiting their arrival.
“You told them after all,” Lu Hui said, turning to look at Yan Yan’s father.
“Whether I told them or not, finding you was only a matter of time,” Zuo Luohuan said coldly. Even now, he was trying to instill guilt in Yan Yan’s father.
Lu Hui stared at Zuo Luohuan for a moment, then burst into laughter. “You privileged elites, enjoying all the resources in the Capital, receiving the best education… my son, an A-rank Alpha, can’t even get into a military academy because he’s stuck in this godforsaken place.”
As expected… Zuo Luohuan wasn’t surprised by his words. Lu Hui’s wife had died in an accident ten years prior, and his personality had likely become warped. His son’s failure to get into a military academy was probably the final straw.
“Both on Xijiang Exile Star, both early differentiating Alphas, did Captain Lu ever wonder why Yan Yan got into the First Military Academy, while his son couldn’t get into any?” Zuo Luohuan asked. “Entrance exams are based on academics and physical ability. If someone doesn’t study, no one can help them.” Zuo Luohuan had reviewed Lu Hui’s son’s records. Those scores had nothing to do with educational resources; he simply didn’t want to join the military. Not everyone aspired to a military career. Once enrolled and graduated, they would join the army, where life and death were uncertain.
Lu Hui’s face darkened. “I’m just not reconciled! Why should the Yan family have it so good? My wife is dead, my son can’t get into a military academy, why should I continue serving the Federation, stuck in this desolate place for twenty years? If I hadn’t been transferred here, my wife wouldn’t have died!”
When they first met Lu Hui, the captain had been warm and generous, kind to his juniors. No one could have guessed the resentment festering within him.
“Lu… Brother Lu…” Yan Yan’s father had never seen this side of Lu Hui. He opened his mouth several times but couldn’t find the words to say. Lu Hui had saved Sun Long’s life, yet he had also tried to kill her, though unsuccessfully. Forty years of friendship couldn’t withstand the corrosive power of envy.
“Every time I see you, I feel incredibly uncomfortable,” Lu Hui said, staring at Yan Yan’s father. “Why?!”
His near-frenzied jealousy caused those present to unconsciously lower their guard. In the next second, Lu Hui turned his light gun on himself. Before anyone could react, Zuo Luohuan fired, hitting Lu Hui’s hand. His shot went wide, grazing his face.
“So many people died because of your betrayal, and that debt hasn’t been settled. Think you can just kill yourself and be done with it?” Zuo Luohuan gestured for her team to restrain Lu Hui. “It’s not that simple.”
Lu Hui, pinned to the dry grass, struggled wildly. “Hahaha, who told you to come here? The moment you heard ‘Silver-Green,’ you all came running faster than anyone ever did to help in twenty years!”
Zuo Luohuan glanced at Lu Hui and signaled. Someone immediately knocked him unconscious.
“…I never thought Brother Lu would think this way,” Yan Yan’s father said, turning his face away from the unconscious Lu Hui, sighing. “The 377th Army was actually about to be absorbed by the Winter Army. We only agreed to come to Xijiang Exile Star to preserve the Winter Army’s name.” Competition within the Winter Army was always fierce. The Northern District was constantly under attack by the Gashro Empire; without sufficient strength, they would only be sent to die on the front lines.
“I’ve heard about that.”
“Brother Lu was always upright. I never thought he’d become so twisted.” After Lu Hui’s wife’s accidental death ten years ago, the Yan family had stayed by his side. Six months later, Lu Hui seemed to have recovered, and everyone thought he was fine. “We all knew why no army groups came to the Northern District.”
The fighting on the Northern District border never ceased; it was only a matter of scale. There were simply no troops to spare.
“We’ll take Lu Hui into custody,” Zuo Luohuan said to Yan Yan’s father. “I believe the 377th has completed its handover and can return with us.”
Yan Yan’s father nodded, looking forlorn.
“You…”
“I…”
The two people sitting across from each other at the breakfast table spoke simultaneously, then stopped upon hearing the other’s voice.
“What is it?” Zuo Luohuan asked first.
Ji Yuezhi set down his chopsticks. “You didn’t sleep last night?”
Zuo Luohuan paused, surprised by his question, then nodded. “I wasn’t very tired.” She changed the subject. “We’re returning to the Capital tomorrow.”
While they had been dealing with the Gen 3 robot dogs on Xijiang Exile Star, things hadn’t been peaceful in the Capital. After news of Ji Xixiu and the Seventeenth Army’s arrival on Xijiang Exile Star spread, there had been some unrest in the Capital. However, those behind it quickly sensed something was amiss and ceased their activities. But that was precisely what Ji Xixiu had been waiting for – a chance for them to reveal themselves. He had subsequently apprehended a string of spies embedded within the Federation.
“Okay.” Ji Yuezhi stood up. “I’ll go back to my room now.”
As he passed the table, Zuo Luohuan suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand. Ji Yuezhi turned his head to look at her. Their eyes met, and neither spoke.
Finally, Zuo Luohuan stood up, but didn’t release his hand. The usual smile that graced her face was gone, replaced by a certain coolness, but her gaze was serious.
“During your heat, I assumed you weren’t thinking clearly. Last night, you said you’d help me because I helped you.” Zuo Luohuan released Ji Yuezhi’s wrist, but didn’t move away. Instead, she slid her hand down and intertwined her fingers with his.
Their fingers laced together, one palm slightly cool, the other’s knuckles warm. The moment their hands joined, something stirred within both of them.
Ji Yuezhi lowered his gaze. All other sounds seemed to fade away, leaving only her words. He had a vague sense of what she was about to say, yet he feared it wasn’t what he hoped for. His fingertips tensed.
“You’re not in heat now, and you don’t owe me anything,” Zuo Luohuan said, gently stroking his tense fingers. “So, I want to ask you something.”
Ji Yuezhi couldn’t help but look up at her, his voice slightly tight. “What?” He was clearly nervous.
Zuo Luohuan wasn’t much calmer herself. Seeing his reaction, a hint of a smile finally touched her eyes. “I think I like you. Do you like me?”
A light blush crept up Ji Yuezhi’s long, pale neck, spreading to the tips of his ears. He turned his head away, unable to meet her gaze. He could practically hear his own heart pounding.
“…You haven’t told me your secret yet,” Ji Yuezhi said after a moment.
“Right. Answer my question first,” Zuo Luohuan said softly, “then I’ll tell you.”
Ji Yuezhi met Zuo Luohuan’s gaze, all his elaborate plans forgotten, leaving only her words and the look in her eyes.
“I do,” Ji Yuezhi whispered, then repeated, “I like you.”
No one knew how nervous Zuo Luohuan was at that moment. She was used to a life of carefree amusement. Even when captured and interrogated, she rarely felt much, only calmly assessing how to escape and analyzing the situation. Extreme pain hadn’t fazed her either; it was just pain, followed by exhaustion. She had never felt like this before, like a condemned prisoner awaiting execution, heart pounding, bracing for the final blow.
So, when she heard Ji Yuezhi’s words, Zuo Luohuan was actually momentarily distracted, thinking about what to do if he denied her feelings. As long as he showed the slightest inclination, she wouldn’t let go.
“I like you, Zuo Luohuan,” Ji Yuezhi repeated once more.
Zuo Luohuan finally snapped back to reality, a relaxed smile gracing her features as she pulled him into an embrace. They held each other close, their heartbeats echoing against one another.
After a moment, she leaned close to his ear and whispered, “My secret is… I’ve liked you for a very, very long time.”
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