SCOM - Chapter 81

Chapter 81

When Zuo Luohuan returned from the bedroom with a change of clothes, Ji Yuezhi was pulling off his training uniform. Somewhat exhausted, he threw the clothes on the floor, his smooth back exposed to her eyes.

After setting down the clean clothes, Zuo Luohuan walked over, bent down to pick up the clothes from the floor, and said to Ji Yuezhi before leaving, "I'll be right outside. Call me if you need anything."

"...Alright."

Jiang Hong hadn't found any useful information yet, but Zuo Luohuan hadn't forgotten how Ji Yuezhi looked during the second temporary marking.

He was uncomfortable.

Zuo Luohuan didn't know the reason, but she didn't believe Ji Xixiu would say Ji Yuezhi's health was poor without cause. She had loved this person for so long and was unwilling to take any risks. Even at that moment, with the training room filled with Omega pheromones, she could endure it, controlling her own pheromones so that not a single trace escaped.

Fortunately, Ji Yuezhi was not currently in a heat period and wasn't craving Alpha pheromones, so he didn't notice that Zuo Luohuan hadn't released even a hint of her own from start to finish.

This kind of behavior undoubtedly required an Alpha's extremely powerful self-control and was a form of torture for any Alpha.

Yet Zuo Luohuan acted as if nothing was wrong, standing not far from the bathroom, leaning against the wall with her eyes lowered, waiting for the person inside to come out.

...

After a while, the bathroom door opened from the inside. Ji Yuezhi emerged, enveloped in steam, his features much more relaxed. He looked at Zuo Luohuan. "I... I'm done washing."

Zuo Luohuan looked up and smiled at him, not touching him. "The dinner I ordered is on the table. Go eat something first."

"What about you?" Ji Yuezhi thought she was about to leave.

Zuo Luohuan pointed to the bathroom behind him. "Dinner just arrived a little while ago. Eat while it's hot, you don't have to wait for me. I'll be out soon."

Knowing she was going to take a shower, Ji Yuezhi replied, "Alright."

The First Military Academy was going to start using Skeletal Mechs, and the other military academies would naturally have to follow suit. However, it was unlikely they could provide one for every person right away; the schools would most likely adopt a shared-use system.

Ji Yuezhi sat at the dining table, slowly pondering his father's words. Most military students would initially share Skeletal Mechs, while a small number of the most adaptable students would get their own exclusive ones, configured with weapons according to their individual characteristics.

She would definitely be among the first to have an exclusive mech, but it would still need to be equipped with weapons. That Qian Mao seemed very familiar with her.

Ji Yuezhi thought of the Dark Department of the Disciplinary Committee. Qian Mao, Guan Xue, and Yan Yan were probably members. During the previous military exercise, he had noticed they knew each other, but at the time, he had only assumed it was a normal acquaintance between schoolmates and hadn't looked into it further.

"Not to your liking?" Zuo Luohuan asked instinctively when she came out and saw that the food on the table had barely been touched.

Ji Yuezhi shook his head, then looked up and asked her directly, "Are you in charge of the Dark Department?" The way those few people unconsciously listened to her was likely not just a matter of strength.

Zuo Luohuan sat down next to him and didn't deny it. "Yes, that Dark Department is now used for internal discipline."

Establishing separate branches was just her being overly cautious, to prevent problems from arising within the disciplinary personnel themselves. As for the weapons, that was entirely because after reviewing the files of all the military students who joined the Dark Department, she found that many were from the weapons department. The original purpose of the Dark Department was to recruit those powerful but eccentric and unruly students. Perhaps because the weapons department had many oddballs, by the time Zuo Luohuan joined, she found they made up almost half the members, so she took the opportunity to expand their armory.

Although Zuo Luohuan wasn't at the academy last year, she frequently contacted Qian Mao and the others, transferring many weapons to them from the black market.

Unexpectedly, they were put to use on the night of the Gashiro attack.

Now, the Dark Department could hardly be called hidden; at least, the military students knew there was another faction within the school.

"You're the head of the Disciplinary Committee, and so am I." Zuo Luohuan took one of Ji Yuezhi's hands. "We're a perfect match."

Ji Yuezhi turned his head, picked up a piece of pastry, and placed it in Zuo Luohuan's bowl, a faint smile appearing in his eyes. "Mm."

...

On the first day of the new term, the freshmen had already been at the military academy for half a year and were more or less settled in. Everyone was dressed neatly, with the top buttons of their military uniforms properly fastened, afraid of being caught by the Disciplinary Committee and losing points.

People were coming and going at the school gate, and some military students from the capital drove their own cars.

Ji Yuezhi had matters to attend to, so Zuo Luohuan stopped the car at the school gate, let him go ahead, and went to park it herself.

Neither of them thought anything was amiss. Ji Yuezhi opened the door, got out of the car, and walked briskly onto the campus.

Ji Yuezhi had always been eye-catching. Not only was he the head of the Disciplinary Committee, causing military students to act like mice seeing a cat, but his looks alone were enough to make those around him stare.

A few people at the school gate turned their heads upon seeing Ji Yuezhi and began discussing in low voices.

"The car that senior just got out of looks a bit familiar."

"The Ji family often sends someone to pick the senior up, so it's normal for it to look familiar."

"No, I remember Zuo Luohuan has this car too."

"Could it be that the senior bought the same car as her? Are they going to clash again?"

"Wait, let me find a photo... Holy crap! That is Zuo Luohuan's car!"

"Huh?"

"I took a picture of Zuo Luohuan driving out before, look at the license plate!"

This caught the attention of everyone around. Watching the car head towards the school's parking lot, they were all stunned. "It's really not the Ji family's car. It's heading for the parking lot."

At the school gate, in broad daylight, and on the first day of the term.

The incident instantly blew up on the First Military Academy's anonymous forum. Everyone began speculating about what could have happened to cause Ji Yuezhi to actually arrive in Zuo Luohuan's car.

【It's just a car ride, that's normal, right? Even though they're rivals, they participated in the military exercise together, and I heard they even went to Xijiang Exile Star during the winter break.】

【Xijiang Exile Star? The one that had trouble recently?】

【Yeah, at the end of the day, they're both from our First Military Academy. They're just competitors, not enemies. Sharing a ride is no big deal.】

【Um... don't you guys know that the Ji family and the Zuo family live in opposite directions? There's no way they'd be on the same route.】

【???】

【I want to ask too, so why didn't the Ji family drive Ji Yuezhi here?】

The forum was in an uproar. Jiang Hong had seen it long ago. He waited as most people offered all sorts of theories, but no one was getting close to the correct answer.

A wave of excitement surged through Jiang Hong's heart. It was finally his turn to watch others be shocked!

He 'casually and calmly' dropped a piece of news in the forum thread: 【What's so surprising? The two of them are together. Is sharing a car that strange?】

The anticipated flood of shocked replies did not appear.

【The person above must be crazy from shipping. Don't believe in crack ships.】

【Together? Although I admit the Zuo-Ji ship is pretty good, the person above shouldn't project it onto reality. I'm more inclined to believe they were returning from some business together.】

【That's possible. Since they went to the recently troubled Xijiang Exile Star together, it's highly likely they were together because of that incident.】

Jiang Hong: "..."

He was unwilling to accept this. He was extremely unwilling.

So he posted again: 【Fine, don't believe me. I'm Jiang Hong.】

Who didn't know that Jiang Hong and Zuo Luohuan were best friends? Would anyone still doubt him after he said that? That's what Jiang Hong thought, confidently waiting for a flood of people begging him for gossip.

【Sigh, another one's gone crazy. Carry him out.】

【You're Jiang Hong? I'm Zuo Luohuan then. That's right, I officially announce that I am indeed with Ji Yuezhi.】

【Hahahahahaha, why are there so many crack ships?】

The replies below were a stream of mockery and jokes.

The world has suffered Jiang Hong for too long!

In a fit of indignation, Jiang Hong rushed to the window, yanked it open, and shouted outside, "I am Jiang Hong! Zuo Luohuan is with Ji Yuezhi!"

Zuo Luohuan, who had just reached the bottom of the Alpha building: "..."

The sound of windows opening in unison instantly came from the Alpha dormitory building. Countless heads poked out to look, and glancing down, they saw—holy cow, the person in question was right there below.

"Jiang Hong, have you eaten your fill?" Zuo Luohuan looked up at Jiang Hong above, her tone laced with a warning.

The onlookers heard it: She didn't deny it! Zuo Luohuan didn't deny it!

The people in the Omega and Beta dormitory buildings didn't know yet, but everyone in the Alpha building had heard it loud and clear. The forum thread instantly exploded.

【Holy cow, holy cow, the person from before really is Jiang Hong!】

【Help, Zuo Luohuan is right downstairs, and she didn't deny what Jiang Hong said.】

【What's going on?】

Amidst a flood of explanatory posts, others finally understood remotely what had happened.

【??? Is today some kind of April Fool's Day? Are you sure you didn't mishear? Could it be truth or dare?】

There were still people who couldn't believe it.

【Everyone in the entire Alpha building heard what Jiang Hong shouted! The exact words were that Zuo Luohuan and Ji Yuezhi are together!】

【Mom, save me! Is my crack ship finally coming true today?!】

【I don't believe it! sobs!】

【Brothers and sisters of the Alpha building, please observe their movements closely.】

【Is it too late to rush to the Alpha building now?】

【Zuo Luohuan is going upstairs! She's heading to Jiang Hong's floor! She's kicking the door! Jiang Hong is opening the door!】

【Thank you, brother Jiang Hong. He sacrificed himself to fulfill the wishes of the masses!】

【He will be blessed!】

Unfortunately, Jiang Hong didn't see the flood of shocked posts on the forum, because Zuo Luohuan had just kicked her way in.

"Hehe, nice weather today." As soon as Jiang Hong opened the door, he backed away, keeping his distance from Zuo Luohuan.

Recalling what Jiang Hong had just shouted from the window, Zuo Luohuan frowned. "Seeing us together, have you become so sour that you've developed psychological problems?"

Jiang Hong pointed at Zuo Luohuan, sputtering "you, you, I, I" for a moment before finally giving up. "You're the one who's sour! I'm single and I'm happy! I just wanted to see their shocked faces!"

Zuo Luohuan pulled over a chair and sat down, not dwelling on what had just happened. Instead, she asked, "How's that matter I asked you to investigate?"

"About that..." Jiang Hong's expression also turned serious. "I'm still looking into it. But I found Ji Yuezhi's annual physical examination reports, and there were no problems. His physical condition is excellent."

Good enough to differentiate into an Alpha.

"Send the reports to me first," Zuo Luohuan said after a moment's thought. "Start by investigating his differentiation. His differentiation period came too late, that might be the problem."

"Alright."

...

After leaving the Disciplinary Committee office, Ji Yuezhi keenly sensed that the military students on the path were constantly sizing him up. It was different from the usual feeling; their eyes held a mix of bewildered suspicion and gossip.

---

Previous Table of Contents Next