Special rut…? Shang Sui?
Shi Qi’s mind turned half a beat too slow, trying to connect those two keywords.
That shrill voice was still saying something in his ear, tinged with mocking laughter. Yu Zhiling looked as if he’d just found something damning between him and Shang Sui. The previously pale face now revealed a look of smug triumph.
“A secret this big, and you didn’t know a thing.”
“No, no… of course he wouldn’t tell you!”
Yu Zhiling turned his gaze toward Shang Sui. The Alpha, who had been seething with rage just moments before, now stood completely still, as if forcibly nailed to the ground. A terrifying and oppressive aura radiated from him.
Yu Zhiling had no doubt that if Shi Qi weren’t here, the moment he exposed this secret, his throat would’ve been crushed, and he might’ve died on the spot.
But he could see that Shang Sui was caught off guard. He no longer had the mind to care about Yu Zhiling’s words—only waited for Shi Qi’s reaction, like a condemned prisoner awaiting his sentence.
How amusing.
Weren’t they supposed to be in love, devoted and loyal to each other?
Realizing that such a huge rift existed between them, Yu Zhiling became unusually excited. The urge to sow discord surged uncontrollably. He even forgot the fear of nearly dying just moments ago.
“Xiao Qi, you’re braver than I thought, to actually date a monster like that.”
“Do you know? The rate of psychopathy among Alphas in special ruts is three in ten, meaning three out of every ten could become murderers. Even those who don’t commit crimes have minds so twisted it’s beyond normal comprehension.”
“Psychopaths always end up manipulating and tormenting their partners. That’s backed by hard data, without a single exception.”
“Driving someone insane is child’s play for them. You think he loves you? In truth, he just sees you as a readily available toy, a test subject… maybe even a future victim.”
“Are you really going to gamble on that 70% chance? Sounds like good odds, but the stakes are your life. Any sane person would want to stay far away, right?” Yu Zhiling grew more and more excited, his cheeks flushing red. “And even if you win that gamble, he’s still far more dangerous than the average Alpha during his rut. You can’t even begin to imagine.”
“…Shut up,” Shi Qi finally spoke.
Yu Zhiling stood up, staggering forward, completely ignoring Shi Qi’s warning.
“Maybe one day, you’ll wake up to find yourself locked away somewhere no one can ever find.”
“Imprisonment would be the least of it. Have you seen the news? There was this dumb Omega who fell in love with a special-rut Alpha. He cut off all her limbs and still used her to satisfy himself. She couldn’t live, couldn’t die! And your boyfriend can’t even admit his condition to your face. He might be even more terrifying than the rest! Hahahahahahahahaha!”
“Why are you glaring at me? If it weren’t for me, you’d have to wait until you’re dying to find this out… You should be thanking me!”
Shi Qi raised his voice. “I said, shut up—!”
The murderous intent in his tone made Yu Zhiling instinctively stop in his tracks. Shi Qi lifted his head, and those dark gray eyes were filled with icy, violent fury.
Before Yu Zhiling could react, Shi Qi grabbed his shoulder and slammed him to the side!
Yu Zhiling’s head hit the wall with force. Fortunately, the interior of the safehouse was lined with impact-resistant material, and the soft wall padding kept his skull from splitting open.
But the violent collision still left his brain blank for a moment, and he nearly lost consciousness.
Shi Qi kicked him in the knee. There was a crisp crack of bones colliding, and Yu Zhiling cried out in pain, forced to kneel in front of him.
But Shi Qi only got angrier. Just recalling those words made it feel like a serrated blade was slicing through his heart, stirring ruthlessly inside his chest.
“Feeling proud, huh? Had fun saying all that?”
“Xiao Qi…!”
Shang Sui saw that Shi Qi was on the verge of losing control and instinctively stepped forward. But Shi Qi beat him to it, grabbing Yu Zhiling by the hair and dragging him into the bathroom.
The bathroom inside the safehouse was very small. Shi Qi pulled Yu Zhiling over to the sink and pressed the drain stopper. Yu Zhiling was dizzy and had no idea what he was trying to do.
Shi Qi turned on the faucet and shoved Yu Zhiling’s head under the water.
“Let me help you wash that filthy mouth of yours. No need to thank me.”
Shi Qi was so furious that his voice took on a ruthless tone. “Oh, might as well scrub your brain too.”
As he spoke, he pressed down harder, using both hands. The full force of the tap water pummeled Yu Zhiling’s face.
The safehouse had high water pressure to save users time, and the sink quickly began to fill, the water soon covering Yu Zhiling’s nose and mouth.
The instinct to survive drove Yu Zhiling into a frenzied struggle, but the hands on his head didn’t budge.
Shang Sui stood just outside, frozen, staring blankly at Shi Qi’s back.
Psychopath, maniac, potential murderer… He’d heard those words countless times growing up. Some looked at him out of mere curiosity; others with scrutiny, even malice.
Of course it used to affect him, and he suffered deeply because of it. But the suspicious stares never stopped, and eventually, he learned to ignore everything.
He knew what kind of person he was. There was no need to exhaust himself proving it to anyone else.
Three out of ten Alphas with special ruts were said to be mentally unstable. The other seven, almost without exception, chose to hide their identity and avoid exposing any signs in public. After all, no one wants to be seen as a freak.
But in the end, they were still stronger than ordinary people. Even if they were outliers, they were powerful outliers.
And yet, watching Shi Qi now, it was as if he was the one who’d been hurt.
“Snapped out of it yet?”
Just as Yu Zhiling thought he was going to drown in the sink, Shi Qi yanked him up by the hair.
Water still filled Yu Zhiling’s ears, making everything sound muffled, but he could hear the deep anger in that voice. “Didn’t I tell you to shut up? What, don’t understand human language?”
Yu Zhiling had no idea where Shi Qi got this burst of madness from. He was clearly taller than Shi Qi, but right now, he couldn’t resist at all.
The moment he could breathe again, Yu Zhiling gasped for breath, his nostrils flaring from lack of oxygen, his throat choking up.
“Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to talk about him like that?”
“I… cough cough… you…!”
Before Yu Zhiling could finish, Shi Qi suddenly flung his hand away.
Originally, Yu Zhiling had been held up by him, relying on his strength for support. The moment Shi Qi let go, he tilted sharply to the side, as if all strength had drained from his legs, and he fell uncontrollably downward.
Yu Zhiling collapsed to the ground on his knees, clutching his neck and retching.
As if he had touched something filthy, Shi Qi meticulously washed each finger with hand soap and disinfectant, not sparing him a single glance.
“—What are you doing?!”
A voice filled with shock and anger suddenly came from outside the door.
The alarm inside the safehouse had never stopped ringing. Staff patrolling nearby rushed in, and upon seeing the scene, were visibly shocked. “What happened?! What’s going on?!”
A safehouse forcibly broken into, an alarm blaring nonstop, and an Omega kneeling on the bathroom floor with blood at the corner of his mouth…
Instinctively, the staff looked toward the only Alpha present. “Did you do this?”
Shi Qi stepped forward, just about to explain.
“…Cough, cough… he… cough… he didn’t lay a hand on me.”
Yu Zhiling’s hoarse voice came from behind. Because his throat had been flooded with water, it sounded extremely strained.
A test of biological tissue and pheromones would show that Shang Sui hadn’t touched him.
There was no need to lie about such things; it was better to do Shi Qi a favor.
The relentless torment had sobered him from his earlier frenzy. He hadn’t expected Shi Qi to defend Shang Sui so thoroughly, to the point of complete disregard.
Even though Shang Sui had hidden the secret of his special rut from him, Shi Qi didn’t seem to care one bit.
Insane…!
Both of them are out of their minds.
He had only thought before that Shi Qi had a bit of a temper. Maybe because Shi Qi was unusually tolerant toward his friends, or maybe because he looked so pure and beautiful, those little outbursts had come off more cute than anything. He never expected that he would be like this once he exploded.
Yu Zhiling was filled with lingering fear. He never wanted to provoke him again.
He had harassed Shi Qi and spoken rudely; Shi Qi retaliated, and that should have been the end of it.
In Yu Zhiling’s memory, to protect user privacy, there were no surveillance cameras inside or around the safehouse. Some more distant cameras might have caught footage of him dragging Shi Qi in.
But with Shi Qi hitting him, if it came down to it, it’d just count as a scuffle, just requiring mediation and mutual compensation.
There was no sexual harassment law between Omegas. That was the reason he had dared to take the risk in the first place.
No, that wasn’t right. In the beginning, he had only meant to tease and tempt Shi Qi a little; he never imagined it would spiral into something like this.
“It’s nothing serious…” Yu Zhiling said hoarsely. “We were just messing around as friends.”
“We’re not friends,” Shi Qi said flatly.
The staff looked at one, then the other, never having encountered such a bizarre situation. “Then what’s your relationship…?”
“I don’t know him.”
Though he had expected it, hearing it said aloud still made Yu Zhiling’s breath catch for a moment.
Shi Qi added calmly, “Might be a stray dog from somewhere.”
The staff fell silent. He wanted to say the comment was too harsh, but upon seeing Shi Qi’s dark expression, he ultimately said nothing.
Unsure how to handle the situation, the staff took them to the nearby police station.
Before leaving the safehouse, Shi Qi grabbed Shang Sui’s hand. “Let’s go.”
Only then did Shang Sui notice that his arm was trembling.
Just now, soaked in cold water, it hadn’t only been Yu Zhiling who suffered, but Shi Qi had used his full strength to hold him down. His originally fair arms were now flushed red.
When he had heard Shi Qi might be in danger and rushed over to kick down the door, his reaction had been almost the same.
Afraid Shi Qi would be hurt or that something bad would happen to him.
Just the thought of such a possibility filled him with fear.
As if comforting him, Shang Sui gently rubbed the back of his trembling hand and said softly, “It’s okay. Don’t let those words bother you.”
“I know,” Shi Qi replied.
But I don’t think it’s okay.
Just as Yu Zhiling had expected, after registering at the police station and providing a general explanation of what had happened, things were resolved with a simple mediation. Since they were both Omegas, even though surveillance footage captured him forcibly dragging Shi Qi into the safehouse, it was difficult to obtain evidence of sexual harassment. Shi Qi also had to pay extra compensation for the damage to the safehouse.
At one point, an officer curiously glanced at Shang Sui. “We saw on the footage that you kicked the door open. How’s that possible? Those safehouse metal doors are strong enough to stop a lion or tiger. How did you manage it?”
“That one happened to be faulty,” Shi Qi answered before Shang Sui could. “The lock wasn’t secure.”
The officer looked half-convinced, then simply said, “I see.”
Yu Zhiling hadn’t said much from beginning to end. After leaving the police station, he let out a long breath.
Pain throbbed through his entire body. His face seemed swollen, and the taste of blood still faintly lingered in his mouth.
His body was already sensitive from being in heat. On the way to the police station, he had injected a suppressant. At the moment the needle pierced his skin, the suppressant clashed with the remaining drugs in his system, and the burning pain turned his face pale.
“It’s all over now, right?” Yu Zhiling looked at the other two. “Then I’ll go.”
His emotions were complicated, with pain and disappointment mixed with a trace of unwillingness. He looked at Shang Sui and said, “You’re really lucky. Someone’s actually willing to protect you like that.”
It was still Shi Qi.
The one he had thought so pure and innocent had fallen for a special-rut Alpha.
Shang Sui looked at him emotionlessly. A moment later, he sneered. “You won’t be that lucky.”
Yu Zhiling met his dark eyes, suddenly unsure.
What did Shang Sui mean by that?
Wasn’t it all over? Could he still be planning something?
He reassured himself that they had already made statements at the police station. Shang Sui was probably just trying to scare him.
Besides, Shang Sui had behaved very calmly the whole time. If he were truly a psychopath, there was no way Yu Zhiling would still be standing here after having said all those offensive things during his emotional outburst earlier.
Then Shang Sui was just a regular Alpha with a special rut.
Someone like that lived extra cautiously. There wouldn’t be any trouble.
Even so, Yu Zhiling couldn’t suppress the panic inside him. He didn’t know whether he was speaking to himself, trying to make a statement, or simply hoping everything would end here.
“I won’t appear in front of you again.” He gave Shi Qi one last glance, then turned around. “Goodbye.”
“—Stop.”
A cold and overbearing voice, almost commanding, rang out from behind.
Since leaving the safehouse, Shi Qi hadn’t said a word to him. Yu Zhiling paused mid-step, and for a split second, couldn’t help but feel a flicker of hope.
Was Shi Qi going to say something to him?
“Apologize to Shang Sui,” Shi Qi said, enunciating every word.
“…” Yu Zhiling clenched his teeth tightly.
A strong sense of unwillingness surged in his chest, but he knew that if he didn’t comply, Shi Qi might actually start a fight with him right outside the police station.
“I’m sorry.” Yu Zhiling forced his expression into control, took a deep breath, then turned around.
“I’m truly sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things.” He tried to sound sincere, speaking with as much remorse as possible. “I was too worked up at the time, mentally unstable. I said a lot of awful, hurtful things…”
“I’m really, really sorry. Please don’t take it to heart.”
He had expected to hear a hollow “It’s fine” that would at least bring closure to everything, or at worst, just some kind of acknowledgement.
But Shang Sui wasn’t even paying attention to him. Shi Qi, on the other hand, was listening. After hearing him out, he responded crisply,
“Then go to hell.”
After saying that, Shi Qi ignored the sudden change in Yu Zhiling’s expression and pulled Shang Sui away.
The night was quiet, and the streetlights flickered along the roadside.
Neither of them spoke as they walked. After walking some distance, Shi Qi could no longer hold back his emotions. Shang Sui noticed something was wrong and, looking down, saw him silently biting his lip, his eyes rimmed with red.
Shang Sui came to a halt and looked at him, heart aching.
As if afraid of scaring him, he kept his voice as gentle as possible. “What’s wrong?”
It would have been better not to ask. As soon as he did, Shi Qi’s tears that had been welling in his eyes finally fell.
Thinking about how Shi Qi and Yu Zhiling had known each other for many years, Shang Sui hesitantly asked, “Is it because you lost a friend…?”
“No.” Shi Qi rubbed his sore eyes and said resentfully, “He’s nothing.”
“Then is it…”
“It’s because of you.”
Shi Qi turned his head and looked straight at the stunned Shang Sui. His cat-like eyes were astonishingly bright, full of life and unable to hide his fury.
He wasn’t angry at Shang Sui. He was angry at what Shang Sui had been subjected to.
“Why do you look like you’re used to it?”
“You’re clearly not the kind of person he described. You didn’t do anything wrong. You just happen to have a special rut. Why should you be dragged down by those criminals and scolded along with them?”
How many even harsher things had you heard to be able to remain so calm in the face of such cruel accusations?
You even found the strength to comfort me.
Shang Sui was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked in return, “Do you trust me that much?”
“What if I really was the kind of person he described?”
Seeing that Shi Qi couldn’t respond, Shang Sui pushed further, “I didn’t even tell you about my special rut. What if I’d kept hiding it all along, and I was more dangerous than anyone? Did you not doubt me for even a second?”
He stood in front of Shi Qi, questioning him in an irrational way.
A voice inside kept urging him to stop, that he shouldn’t speak like this while emotional.
But he couldn’t hold back.
Everything that had happened tonight felt too unbelievable to him. Even in the most self-indulgent of dreams, he had never dared imagine that Shi Qi would stand before him with complete trust, entirely unfazed by his special rut.
It was as if… Shi Qi was willing to accept everything about him.
The good and the bad.
When no response came, Shang Sui began to regret it. He parted his lips slightly, wanting to drop the topic.
But just then, Shi Qi spoke.
“I never even considered that possibility.”
He seemed genuinely confused by the question, trying to piece together his thoughts to find the most fitting words. “They are them, and you are you.”
“Isn’t it only natural that I believe in you?”
“…”
As he finished speaking, Shi Qi met Shang Sui’s eyes, and for a brief moment, he felt a chill run down his spine.
The gaze pressing down on him was so heavy it was as if it had nailed him in place, rendering him immobile.
It was like he had personally unlocked the cage, removed the shackles, and released something dangerous.
In the next second, Shi Qi felt a sense of peace.
Whatever.
Even if there really was something wrong with Shang Sui, it was still a choice he had made from the heart.
Seeing him return his gaze without flinching, the Alpha who had just been so aggressive seemed like a tamed beast—fangs withdrawn, now incredibly docile.
“I’m sorry, Xiao Qi,” Shang Sui said softly after regaining his composure. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way.”
An overwhelming, redemptive joy surged through all his senses, making him want to devour the source that brought forth all these emotions. Never to be separated again.
He could only lower his gaze, afraid the other would see the love and desire that were on the verge of spilling out.
“You’re not a saint. Why shouldn’t you be allowed to get worked up sometimes?”
Seeing him keep his head down like he was deflated, Shi Qi couldn’t help but laugh. “If you didn’t show any emotion at all tonight, that’s when I’d think something’s wrong with you.”
He added, “And I don’t mind.”
Shang Sui’s eyes flickered.
A moment passed before he lifted his gaze again and answered the question Shi Qi had asked earlier.
“You asked why I seemed used to it. The truth is, I wasn’t at first.”
“But if you always follow what others say and constantly doubt yourself, it becomes exhausting. Compared to all those irrelevant voices, there are more important things worth my attention.”
He paused for a moment. “And…”
In some sense, it was you who changed me and taught me to accept myself.
You don’t remember, but I’ll never forget.
“I didn’t tell you about the special rut before, I…”
“You were never obligated to tell me,” Shi Qi interrupted him. “That’s your privacy. No one has the right to demand that you tell me.”
Setting aside the fact that he and Shang Sui weren’t an actual couple, there were clear regulations about the special rut: aside from a guarantor and doctor, the individual had the right not to disclose it to anyone.
“You don’t need to explain to me. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
As he spoke, Shi Qi began to feel sad again.
Why was that?
He had thought that Shang Sui might have secrets, but he hadn’t known it would be such a heavy one.
Just imagining how Shang Sui had gradually adapted to those cutting words, becoming used to them over time, Shi Qi felt like he saw a heart slowly growing cold and tough. Without realizing it, crystal-clear tears began to fall.
When he cried, his eyes and the tip of his nose turned red, making him look both sorrowful and wronged.
Feeling distressed, Shang Sui was suddenly struck by a thought: I really want to kiss him.
Being someone who was cherished, even having wounds exposed without fear, turned out to be such a beautiful and light feeling.
He didn’t know how to express it. The emotions were about to overflow. His first instinct was to get closer, to show affection.
A kiss was out of the question for now. Shang Sui opened his arms toward him. “Don’t cry. Come here for a hug.”
Shi Qi let out a whimper. His uncontrollable emotions finally found release as he threw himself into Shang Sui’s arms.
The familiar embrace was warm and reassuring, a place where he could pour out all the negative emotions without restraint.
Shi Qi sniffled and suddenly remembered something. “How did your sketching class go?”
“I had to trouble another teacher to cover it. I’ve subbed for her before, so she probably didn’t mind.”
“My bracelet is gone. I only realized it while giving my statement.” Shi Qi buried his face into Shang Sui’s shoulder, inhaling the faint, sweet scent on him as he spoke in a halting voice. “It might’ve dropped somewhere in the safehouse.”
“I just got it not long ago…”
“It’s fine. I’ll make another one for you.”
Shi Qi murmured a reply and completely relaxed in his arms, saying whatever came to mind, “He’s disgusting.”
“Mm.” Shang Sui understood what he meant and agreed, “Even among all the disgusting people I’ve met, Yu Zhiling ranks near the top.”
Shi Qi couldn’t help but laugh. But as he laughed, he also felt sadness creeping back in, and his eyes started to sting again.
“…Why is your luck so bad?”
“Maybe a little, but sometimes I get really lucky too,” Shang Sui replied lightly. “Didn’t I meet you?”
Shi Qi was caught off guard by those words. He suddenly lifted his head and stared at him without blinking.
So meeting me was a lucky thing?
“Xiao Qi, you looked really cool when you stood up for me just now.” Seeing Shi Qi’s eyes widen and the tips of his ears turn red, Shang Sui smiled and ruffled his hair. “I’ll remember it forever.”
Shi Qi belatedly realized that crying like this in front of him was kind of embarrassing.
It didn’t seem cool at all and wasn’t worth remembering.
Seeing his embarrassment, Shang Sui recalled what Shi Qi had said and done back in the safehouse.
In that moment, it had felt like there was nothing left in the world to be afraid of.
Just like back then, he took Shi Qi’s hand.
“So forget all this unpleasantness. Let’s go, the two of us.”
Shi Qi silently repeated the last words to himself.
He had never thought much of the phrase before, but when it came from Shang Sui’s mouth, it felt like it held some kind of magic.
It didn’t just mean “us.” It meant to move forward, together.
Yes, that was it.
Shi Qi wiped away the last tear with the back of his hand and said silently to himself:
Let’s go!
He held Shang Sui’s hand and walked beneath the silvery moonlight that flowed like water and the lanterns that drifted like colorful mist.
It felt as if, in the moment their fingers intertwined, they could live freely forever and go anywhere.
Author’s note: 17 really is a cat that fiercely protects its own. Boss Cat is wise and mighty.
There’s still a bit of follow-up to this incident. I couldn’t finish it here, so it’ll be in the next chapter. Next, let’s move to 2s’s side of the story.
I’ve always really liked the phrase “Let’s go!” It sounds determined, and rolls off the tongue nicely.
![Who Are You Calling A Canary? [Transmigration]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20250108211651_200_280.jpg "Who Are You Calling A Canary? [Transmigration]")
