The interior of the Soaring Eagle was extremely spacious, with three horizontal seats in the back row forming a concave shape.

Oser and You Lin sat face-to-face, each occupying opposite seats. The seat to the side seemed to have been specially reserved for Ling Yi.

Both focused their attention on him, one with astonishment, and the other with a meaning-laden smile.

Ling Yi pretended to be calm and stepped inside, moving to take the only empty seat. But at the last second, he turned and sat next to Oser without taking time to think.

Although Oser’s seat fit two people, he was sitting in the middle of it, and when Ling Yi sat down, they inevitably came into physical contact.

You Lin’s brain short-circuited, and wasn’t sure which development was more bizarre – that Ling Yi was still alive, or that he was ignoring social etiquette.

But then, something even more surprising happened. Not only did His Highness Oser not admonish him for his rudeness, he even put his hand on the other’s leg and rubbed it affectionately.

You Lin even began to suspect that during the time he was absent from the country, the prince had become more approachable and the common people no longer had to be so careful to keep their distance.

Had class barriers completely broken down?

Had equal rights in their motherland developed to such an extent?

In just a short moment, what seemed like thousands of thoughts went through You Lin’s head, and it was as if every branch in his nerve center was abruptly cut off.

Through the thin layer of cloth, Oser could feel the tense muscles beneath his palm.

No matter how calm Ling Yi was pretending to be, his body couldn’t lie.

“Why are you here?” Oser asked with a smile.

Ling Yi replied serenely: “Your Highness took a long time coming back. I came to pick you up.”

“Since you came to pick me up, why did you get into the vehicle?”

“I’m a poor student who’s never seen such a nice car. I wanted to see whether it was comfortable to sit in.”

“Now that you’ve tried it, is it comfortable?”

Ling Yi was on pins and needles, but there was no change in his expression: “It’s not bad.”

“Do you like it? If so, I’ll give it to you.”

“…..Your Highness is very generous.”

Oser said with implied meaning: “I’m always generous to those who follow me.”

Ling Yi pursed his lips.

Oser watched his expression change with amusement, waiting to see what excuses he would make next.

“Of course I’m willing to follow Your Highness. I….would never be disloyal.”

As the two of them talked back and forth, You Lin seemed like a third wheel.

He couldn’t take his gaze away from Oser’s hand, and brainwashed himself into thinking this was just His Highness’s appreciation for the younger generation. 

“I’m sorry to bother you two.”

You Lin mustered up the courage to interrupt the dubious atmosphere that had permeated the cabin.

“Can you tell me what’s going on? Didn’t you say that Ling Yi…..was already dead?”

Only then did Ling Yi turn his attention toward the person sitting opposite him.

He looked to be twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, with blue hair cut in a gentle style and innocent eyes that displayed his complete faith in Oser.

It was obvious that he was another victim deceived by Oser’s lies.

“The person who died in the accident wasn’t me. He was a scapegoat found by Lu Hulun.”

“But he didn’t do it to let me off the hook. He just didn’t want me to have such an easy death.”

After Ling Yi finished his explanation, he saw Oser smiling and nodding at him, as if “praising” him for obtaining all of his outside information while underground.

Ling Yi pretended not to notice, and said flatteringly: “If it weren’t for His Highness Oser, I would have been tortured to death by Lu Hulun. He’s my savior.”

You Lin’s body trembled. He turned his head stiffly to look at Oser, interpreting the curve of his mouth as mockery directed toward him.

It turned out that His Highness Oser had already made arrangements, and You Lin had come here in vain to point fingers.

The fewer people who knew about such confidential information, the better. His Highness Oser had naturally withheld the truth from him in order to better protect Ling Yi.

How could he have thought that his savior would leave another innocent person to die?

He had even thought himself clever by coming up with an escape plan. A strategic thinker like His Highness Oser must have planned Ling Yi’s departure route long ago.

You Lin’s mood at this moment was extremely complicated. Distress from the misunderstanding mixed with the guilt of confronting Oser, and he was moved even more by Oser’s noble character. 

“I’m sorry, I said so many inappropriate things to Your Highness.”

You Lin’s apology was brimming with remorse.

“I shouldn’t have doubted you. You’ve been secretly protecting the person who was persecuted by the Lu family. I….I deserve to die!”

Oser smiled faintly and said nothing.

Ling Yi watched as the innocence in the other’s eyes became even more pure, mixed with a fanatical sort of admiration.

This person was probably beyond saving.

“Will Your Highness introduce us?” Ling Yi asked.

Oser laughed mockingly: “It’s good for you to get to know each other. This person can be considered your senior – he has much more experience than you in suffering persecution from old men.”

You Lin sat up straight and formally introduced himself: “Nice to meet you, my name is You Lin. The former Chief Justice of the Imperial Court was my father.”

“Six years ago, Lu Hulun’s second son used the power of the Lu family to illegally amass wealth. My father sentenced him to death despite immense pressure, but in return, his family was destroyed. If it wasn’t for His Highness’s help, I would have been killed as well.”

“I’ve been paying close attention to you for a long time. Lu Dawa’s death was his own fault. But since my father’s death, Lu Hulun has used all means to purge the Imperial Court, and those not under his control have been either transferred to distant places or dismissed.”

“Now, not only is the current chief justice Lu Hulun’s lackey, the entire court is filled top to bottom with his people. There will never be another judge as fair and honest as my father.”

You Lin was so moved as he spoke that he leaned forward and patted Ling Yi’s knee hard with one hand.

“Ling Yi, Lu Hulun is ruthless and vengeful. The longer you stay here, the more danger you’ll face.”

“I can take you to live abroad with me, teach you the language, and pay for your studies. Then, when the time is right, you can return to China to pursue your ambitions. At that point, you and I will join hands to assist His Highness Oser and make Lu Hulun pay in blood!”

You Lin’s eyes were bright and spirited. Even though he had suffered injustice and his family was ruined, his passion was undampened.

“Are you willing?”

Ling Yi looked at him like he was a fool: “I’m not willing.”

You Lin hadn’t expected such an unhesitating refusal: “Why not? Don’t you know that as long as you remain in the country, Lu Hulun will never give up?!”

“I have a backer.”

“Backer? You mean His Highness Oser?”

You Lin detested his naivety: “His Highness can protect you now, but for how long? He can’t keep you with him day and night.”

“I don’t know whether His Highness Oser will keep me with him day and night, but I know that if you keep your hand on my leg, you’re probably going to lose it.”

“……” You Lin was thoroughly confused.

He glanced at His Highness Oser’s expression, then at Ling Yi, and finally down at his hand.

He hesitated, then retracted his hand and leaned back until he was stopped by the back of the chair.

Perhaps everything was different from how he had imagined. Perhaps class barriers were not so easy to break, and only some individuals received special treatment.

Oser pretended to brush imaginary dust from Ling Yi’s shoulder, and assessed: “This is a nice uniform. It suits you well.”

Ling Yi confessed: “It’s Doctor Pat’s.”

“Give it back to him and tell him to prepare a new one for you.”

“No need, Your Highness. This is a doctor’s uniform, it isn’t necessary.”

“It’s necessary to me. I don’t want you wearing Doctor Pat’s pheromones.”

Ling Yi’s smile froze. 

“Your Highness, there are other people in the car.”

Oser stared at him. Only his lips moved: “Get out.”

The car door opened and closed with a gust of wind as an entire living person vanished in an instant.

Once again, they were the only two left in the enclosed compartment. Ling Yi was like prey delivered to his doorstep, and it would be a shame if Oser didn’t do something after he walked into such a trap.

He leaned over, further shortening the non-existent distance between them.

“‘The pleasure of delayed gratification. ‘A little more patience.’” Oser repeated Ling Yi’s words one by one. “Who was the one who said these things?”

“…..It was me.” Ling Yi couldn’t deny it.

“If you were as good at fulfilling your promises as you are at admitting your mistakes, you wouldn’t have had to go to such lengths to please me.”

“I didn’t intend to break our agreement.” Ling Yi endeavored to swallow past the discomfort in his throat. “I didn’t sneak out to escape.”

“If you’re not running away, did you really come here to pick me up?” Oser said mockingly.

The pheromones surging toward him took Ling Yi’s breath away.

“I just got some news that my adoptive father might be in danger…..”

“No, he’s absolutely in danger. The driver of the hijacked van is a good friend of my adoptive father’s, and he said he’s going to the Prime Minister’s office.”

“My adoptive father must think I’m dead, so he’s gone to seek revenge on Lu Hulun at all costs. I can’t let him put himself in danger.”

Ling Yi was rather anxious, fearing that his adoptive father would cause irreversible consequences due to his impulse.

“Your Highness promised to take care of my family.”

“Did you forget about the first half of our deal?”

“My adoptive father is in danger right now. By the time the operation is completed, he might be dead!”

Oser stated unhurriedly: “I’ve always been fair, and I give as much as I receive. Ling Yi, the deposit you paid has been overdrawn.”

“……”

Oser’s meaning was self-evident. Suppressing his instinctive fear, Ling Yi took the initiative to loop his arms around the other’s neck.

Top-level Alpha pheromones invaded Ling Yi through the gaps in his mental power, and his arms visibly shook.

Ling Yi closed his eyes, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed nervously.

After some psychological preparation, he made a decision and leaned in for a determined kiss.

One second, two seconds, three seconds…..

For the first time in his life, he experienced what it meant to feel every second like a year.

He had no idea whether Oser’s lips were soft or hard, hot or cold. His senses were numb.

It wasn’t until three years had passed that Ling Yi left the other’s lips and slowly retreated to his original position in the darkness.

There was no sound inside the cabin. Everything was still.

Had the concentration of pheromones not continued to increase to a terrifying level, Ling Yi would have suspected that the other party had fallen deeply asleep.

It took a long time for Ling Yi to overcome the tremendous mental pressure and crack open his eyes.

The other person was staring at him intently, the tip of his tongue slowly licking over his upper gums.

This was the instinctive hunting reaction of an Alpha, which he had demonstrated to Oser himself.

At that time, when he was being suppressed by Oser, he was convinced that due to the lack of a hunting reaction, Oser was just verbally messing with him and had no true interest in another Alpha.

But it was different now!

When an Alpha was aroused, they would put on this sort of primitive, lethal display.

The moisturized canine teeth could pierce an Omega’s glands more sharply and accurately, completely claiming their prey for themselves.

If the other party was an Omega and returned the Alpha’s interest, they would expose their neck to demonstrate their submission.

But if not, then they could only hope for the best.

Ling Yi loosened his arms in horror and tried to move away, but there was nowhere to retreat.

He had originally been seated in the corner, with the soft seat back and the metal body of the car forming an angle.

When Oser spoke again, his hoarse voice was like that of a lion that had awoken from a thirty-year nap.

“You were right. I really didn’t need anyone to teach me.”

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Chapter 6 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 8