Chapter 16: Special Suppressants

The end of the month was just a few days away. Bai, the boss, had made it clear: if this shipment pleased the rebels, his sister would be returned.

Yesterday, Shao Ye couldn’t get in touch with Boss Bai. With a rare day off today, he decided to clean up the place and hit the furniture market with Lu Zhanxing later.

Once his sister was back, she’d need her own room. Shao Ye had already sacrificed his cozy little courtyard, turning it into a compact new space for her.

By nightfall, Shao Ye was covered head to toe in dirt. There was no way in hell he’d risk clogging up the tiny bathroom in his bedroom. The ancient plumbing in this neighborhood couldn’t handle mud; one blockage, and it’d be a nightmare to fix. He hauled a large basin into the bedroom, ready to wash up old-school style.

“What the hell are you doing?” Lu Zhanxing asked.

“Taking a bath. I’m filthy. Bathroom pipes can’t handle this mess,” Shao Ye shot back, already stripping with brisk efficiency.

Lu Zhanxing’s eyes narrowed, his body freezing on the spot.

Before he could say a word, Shao Ye was stark naked, slipping into the makeshift bath like it was nothing.

Lu Zhanxing’s jaw nearly hit the floor. Damn, Shao Ye was something else—classic Omega perfection. Pale, smooth skin with just the right amount of muscle definition, his whole body exuded a rugged vitality without a hint of fragility.

For someone like Lu Zhanxing, an Alpha who’d spent years cooped up in military barracks, this was a first—an unfiltered, up-close view of an Omega’s body.

His face remained stoic, but his burning ears gave him away.

“Hey, Lu-ge, mind scrubbing my back?” Shao Ye asked casually, his back turned.

“AO relationships are strictly professional.” The doctrine drilled into Lu Zhanxing from a young age was on autopilot.

But then again… this was his Omega.

That made it okay, right?

Maybe?

When Lu Zhanxing didn’t move, Shao Ye huffed impatiently. “Hurry up, Lu-ge. The water’s getting cold. Don’t tell me you don’t know how to scrub a back. Want to hop in with me and we’ll make it a team effort?”

Hop in?

Lu Zhanxing’s mind blanked, and he swore he felt a warm trickle down his nose.

“No need!” he barked, flinging the loofah toward Shao Ye before bolting out of the room.

In the living room, he grabbed tissues to stem the nosebleed. Sure enough, the paper came away bright red.

He was bleeding. Over a damn bath.

Back in the bedroom, Shao Ye frowned in confusion. “Where’d you go, Lu-ge? Don’t tell me you’re embarrassed. Seriously? All that elite schooling, and you’re flustered over some skin? We’re both guys!”

After bathing and getting dressed, Shao Ye wandered into the living room to fetch Lu Zhanxing. Flashing a teasing grin, he said, “Lu-ge, were you seriously shy earlier? You’ve clearly never been to a public bathhouse before.”

“What bathhouse?” Lu Zhanxing asked, clearly skeptical.

“You know, school bathhouses. Back in 66 Middle, the showers were on a strict schedule. We got half an hour per class, a few stalls, and no doors. Everyone scrambled to wash up—sometimes two or three of us in one stall.”

Lu Zhanxing’s face darkened as he mulled over the absurdity of it. “Which 66 Middle are you talking about? Even in resource-starved districts, hygiene facilities are separate. Hell, even kids know AO segregation rules. A communal bathhouse makes no sense.”

Shao Ye froze. Damn, he’d slipped.

Again.

That was a memory from his past life. Bathhouses didn’t even exist in this world. When he’d first arrived here, he couldn’t tell the difference between bathrooms and had nearly gotten beaten up for “peeping” multiple times.

“Uh… the school was dirt poor, so they had to cut corners,” Shao Ye stammered, hastily switching gears. “Anyway, I’m wiped. Let’s hit the sack. Got a ton of things to handle tomorrow.”

“You’re exhausted?” Lu Zhanxing asked, concern flickering in his eyes. “Want me to give you a massage?”

Shao Ye had lived through two lifetimes of being broke, and no one had ever offered him a massage—let alone someone as handsome as Lu Zhanxing.

Jackpot.

“You know how to give massages? Don’t tell me you’ve been hitting up massage parlors,” Shao Ye teased.

“Learned it in the army,” Lu Zhanxing replied. “After long drills, we’d help each other out. Relieves muscle soreness and prevents cramps at night.”

"Fine." Shao Ye yanked off his shirt without hesitation and sprawled face-down on the bed.

Lu Zhanxing froze for a moment, his eyes locking onto Shao Ye’s bare back. He closed his eyes, fighting to calm the storm rising in his chest, though his nerves betrayed him.

Focus, he reminded himself. He’s your Omega. You’re just helping him out with a massage—nothing more.

His fingers, cool against Shao Ye’s warm skin, brushed lightly along the curve of his spine. Shao Ye shivered violently.

“What’s wrong?” Lu Zhanxing’s voice was casual, but his gaze sharpened.

“Nothing, just sensitive. Keep going,” Shao Ye muttered, his tone steady, though his muscles betrayed him.

“Where does it hurt most?” Lu Zhanxing asked, kneading Shao Ye’s shoulders.

“Everywhere. Might as well do the full package,” Shao Ye sighed, already melting into the touch.

Starting at the nape of Shao Ye’s neck, Lu Zhanxing’s hands worked their way down with infuriating precision—across shoulders, along the sculpted lines of his back, stopping only when his fingers teased the dip of Shao Ye’s waist.

A low groan escaped Shao Ye, lazy and indulgent. “Damn, Lu-ge. You’ve got skills. Feels so good…”

The sound hit Lu Zhanxing like a fist to the gut. His eyes darkened, and something primal clawed at the edges of his restraint.

“Lower,” Shao Ye murmured, oblivious, “and put some muscle into it.”

Lu Zhanxing’s gaze lingered on Shao Ye’s waist—on the hint of skin peeking just above his waistband. That teasing sliver, like a baited hook, snagged him hard.

Before he could stop himself, he tugged at Shao Ye’s pants. The fabric slid down with embarrassing ease.

The cold air made Shao Ye’s brain short-circuit. 'What the hell?' His first instinct was to yank his pants back up, but he froze when cool hands found their way to his bare hips, kneading in slow, deliberate circles.

'It’s just a massage,' Shao Ye convinced himself, swallowing his pride. 'Nothing to freak out about.'

Lu Zhanxing’s hands didn’t falter. They moved downward—thighs, calves, even his toes got meticulous attention. Everywhere, except that spot.

Shao Ye almost laughed at how absurdly professional it felt. “Lu-ge, man, you must be exhausted. Let me take over.”

Lu Zhanxing’s voice was curt. “No need.” He didn’t look up, didn’t stop.

Just now, he had a nosebleed while watching him take a shower, and he almost lost control during the massage. Fortunately, he had an injection of inhibitor before coming in, otherwise it would not be such a harmonious and friendly scene now.

“Bullshit. Quit acting tough.” With a playful shove, Shao Ye forced Lu Zhanxing onto the bed, already undoing the first button of his shirt.

Up against an Omega with a 99.9% compatibility match, Lu Zhanxing couldn’t say no and had no choice but to own it and give in.

Lu Zhanxing sucked in a sharp breath, snatching Shao Ye’s hand mid-motion. Without a word, he tore off his own shirt and flipped onto his stomach, surrendering with controlled indifference.

Shao Ye felt a little regretful that he couldn't touch Brother Lu's chest muscles.

Shao Ye straddled Lu Zhanxing’s waist, grumbling to himself about his broad shoulders being inconvenient. He started working on Lu Zhanxing’s back, firm but cautious.

Lu Zhanxing stiffened beneath him, his jaw tight. When asked if it felt good, he grunted noncommittally.

“Just stick to the back,” he muttered, his voice gravelly.

Shao Ye shrugged. “Fine by me.” No way was he touching another man’s ass.

Even so, his focus wavered. Hands gliding over Lu Zhanxing’s tense muscles, something unspoken simmered in the air. Then it happened. A jolt of heat shot through Shao Ye, the kind of reaction he couldn’t justify.

Panic-stricken, he scrambled off, brushing against Lu Zhanxing’s sensitive waist in the process.

“Ah, Ye…” Lu’s low growl stopped him dead.

Shao Ye bolted for the door like a skittish rabbit. “All done—I need water.”

He downed bottle after bottle of ice water in the kitchen, his pulse pounding in his ears.

By the time he returned, Lu Zhanxing was feigning sleep. Shao Ye crawled into bed, careful to keep his back to him.

Lu Zhanxing waited until Shao Ye’s breathing steadied, then tucked the blanket around him with deliberate tenderness. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Good night, Ah Ye.”

The next morning, Shao Ye wasn’t in bed.

Lu Zhanxing sat up, instantly alert, only to find him bustling in the kitchen.

“Morning, Lu-ge. I’m making breakfast. Got the day off, so might as well.”

Lu Zhanxing nodded, the tension in his chest easing. They ate together like always, the unspoken tension buried beneath casual conversation.

But later, as Lu Zhanxing excused himself to the bathroom, he activated a discreet communicator, calling his private doctor.

“I slept too long,” he muttered. “Side effects?”

The response came quickly: Yes, overuse of the suppressant. It’s potent but taxing. Stick to one dose every six months if you want to avoid worse reactions.

Lu Zhanxing turned off the device, his jaw set.

The Alliance's Supreme Medical Research Institute crafted a special inhibitor just for him, but it does little more than keep his feral urges on a leash. When his susceptibility period hits, the damn thing’s useless. Their only option? Lock him up in a dungeon, cut him off from the world, and hope he claws his way through it.

With age, his reactions have only grown more brutal. Last time, the bastard nearly died—shock, cardiac arrest, the whole package. If not for the doctors dragging him back from the brink, he'd be six feet under.

Now, he's burned through four doses of that so-called miracle drug they sent last month. All he's got left is one measly shot.

With only one dose left, he stared at his reflection, a man battling a losing war against himself.