“…What?”
Shi Qi muttered.
He didn’t actually mind being called pretty. He was pretty, after all.
But the indulgent tone Shang Sui used when he said it…
His earlier irritation disappeared in an instant. Realizing that just one sentence from Shang Sui had been enough to pacify him left Shi Qi feeling a bit conflicted.
“Let’s go.” Shang Sui, noticing his unease, changed the subject smoothly. “The parade’s starting soon. Want to grab a bite first?”
He remembered from the restaurant that Shi Qi had a sweet tooth and pointed toward a nearby dessert cart. “They’ve got ice cream and cupcakes.”
Shi Qi nodded.
The dessert cart was shaped like a pumpkin carriage, its wheels wrapped in colorful string lights. Many people were gathered around, taking photos.
Clearly, Huijian’s boss had provided generous funding. Shang Sui had bought VIP tickets to the amusement park and was covering all the expenses.
Shi Qi chose a grapefruit-flavored ice cream and began eating it as they walked.
He took small bites. When he licked the ice cream, the tip of his bright red tongue flicked out just a little.
Shang Sui glanced at him a few times before calling his name. “Shi Qi.”
He turned his head at the sound, and the cat ears on his head swayed with the motion.
“You forgot napkins.”
“Oh. Thanks.”
Shi Qi reached out to take them. Just then, the lights around them flickered, and music began to play.
The intro was a crisp piano melody, followed by a chorus of children’s voices. But on the final note, the tune warped into a sharp, eerie laugh.
The parade slowly began to move. Shi Qi’s attention was completely absorbed, and he didn’t notice a group of people passing by. One of them suddenly stopped in his tracks when he saw him.
“What are you standing there for?”
Someone beside him gave Fu Siyue a pat. Fu Siyue stared at the cat ears on Shi Qi’s head, blinking in disbelief, needing a moment to confirm he wasn’t imagining things. “Shi Qi?”
Damn it.
Of all people, it had to be him.
Since the crowd was thick, Shi Qi simply pretended not to hear. Shang Sui glanced over but chose to ignore it too.
No one responded right away, so the friend asked hesitantly, “You know him?”
“Mm,” Fu Siyue replied. “You guys go ahead. I’ll catch up.”
Once the others had left, Fu Siyue walked up to Shi Qi. He’d meant to say, “That headband’s kind of cute,” but when the words reached his mouth, they twisted into, “How old are you, still wearing childish stuff like that?”
Shi Qi remained expressionless. Shang Sui could tell he was starting to get annoyed.
Shi Qi had known Fu Siyue and Lin Yan since childhood, and he’d always thought Fu Siyue had an insufferable mouth. Before his differentiation, Shi Qi would sometimes beat Fu Siyue to the point of tears. Afterward… due to certain reasons, Shi Qi’s elders hoped he would get along with Fu Siyue. That only made him dislike him even more.
No one answered him. Fu Siyue glanced a few times at the Alpha standing next to Shi Qi. The guy was impossible to ignore—flamboyant, flashy, and clearly not someone decent.
Still, Fu Siyue didn’t believe Shi Qi would come out alone with an Alpha. Trying to sound clever, he asked, “What are you doing here by yourself?”
“Can’t you tell?” Before Shi Qi could answer, Shang Sui replied casually, “We’re on a date.”
Fu Siyue froze and locked eyes with him.
Shang Sui was taller, looking down slightly with a faint smile.
Fu Siyue immediately frowned. “Did I ask you? Who even are you?”
He didn’t expect the Alpha who had just provoked him to suddenly change tone. “Woah, so fierce.”
Fu Siyue: “?”
What shocked Fu Siyue even more was that Shi Qi actually fell for it. He stepped forward and stood in front of Shang Sui, who towered over him, and said coldly, “Who said you could talk to him like that?”
What?
Wasn’t it this guy who started it?
While Fu Siyue was still trying to make sense of what was happening, Shang Sui took advantage of the moment when Shi Qi couldn’t see him and pulled down his lower eyelid, making a mocking face.
With those red devil horns on his head, he couldn’t have looked more sinister.
“You!” Fu Siyue snapped. “If you’ve got guts, don’t hide behind Shi Qi—”
“That’s enough.” Shi Qi lost all patience. “Move. You’re in the way.”
Fu Siyue was caught off guard, even feeling a little wronged.
Weren’t they supposed to be childhood sweethearts? Shi Qi had never once defended him. Not getting scolded was already the best he could hope for.
Just then, the parade approached.
Leading the way was a performer dressed as the Grim Reaper, riding a headless horse and wielding a blood-red scythe. Behind him came a group of little ghosts carrying pumpkin lanterns.
The tourists’ attention was fully drawn in; the girl nearest them focused on recording with her phone. Shang Sui suddenly turned his head, his expression shifting slightly.
In that instant, Shi Qi caught a faint whiff of pheromones.
He couldn’t quite place the scent, something like burning gasoline as if it might explode any second.
The girl kept her eyes on her phone screen. She suddenly noticed a ghost holding a pumpkin lantern approaching. The pale, paint-covered face slowly filled the frame.
He reached into the pumpkin lantern and pulled something out. A glint of cold metal flashed.
At the critical moment, someone shoved her aside.
The girl barely escaped. Realizing what had just happened, she trembled and cried out, “…He had a knife!”
“That wasn’t a prop! He really tried to stab me!!”
Seeing that her rescuer was still confronting the attacker, the girl cried out anxiously to those around her, “Someone help!!”
Most of the people nearby were too shocked to move; only Shi Qi reacted. “Shang Sui!”
The little ghost raised the knife, ready to stab, but Shang Sui was faster. He delivered a hard kick to the attacker’s stomach. As the boy doubled over in pain, Shang Sui seized the moment to snatch the knife and kick it aside.
His movements were fluid and precise. Fu Siyue watched, wide-eyed. The attacker tried to get up again, but another person suddenly appeared behind him and pressed down hard on his shoulders.
The little ghost let out a sharp scream of pain.
Fu Siyue was stunned. Only then did he realize the person beside him had vanished. “Shi Qi…?” When had he run over?!
Shi Qi had pinned the attacker by the shoulders and shouted over the chaos, “Are you okay?!”
With the two of them holding him down, the attacker couldn’t move and resorted to hurling curses, spewing filthy words one after another.
“I’m fine.” Shang Sui’s breathing was uneven, but his voice remained steady. To prevent any further danger, he pressed one hand over the back of Shi Qi’s. “Hold him steady.”
The tension made Shi Qi’s heart pound. He used all his strength, veins bulging on his hand as he kept the attacker pinned to the ground.
“Got it,” Shi Qi replied.
The people around them were still frozen in shock. Just then, the amusement park’s security staff arrived and quickly surrounded the area.
–
Shi Qi never expected he’d be running into lunatics one after another lately. A trip to the amusement park had somehow landed him in a police station.
He, Shang Sui, and the girl who had been attacked were all called in to give statements. Shi Qi also took the opportunity to register for Omega protection.
The policewoman taking his statement learned that he’d recently been stalked. Despite that, he still had the courage to step up and do the right thing at a critical moment. She looked at him with admiration and kept praising him until he started to feel embarrassed.
She explained that the attacker, dressed as a little ghost, was an Alpha experiencing a special rut. He had no prior connection to the victim and had likely chosen her at random.
To mask the overwhelming scent of his pheromones, he had used a large dose of blockers.
This was the first time Shi Qi had heard of such a thing. “Special rut?”
“Most Alphas experience ruts that last two to three days. But a small number don’t come out of it naturally. For them, the rut only ends when their desire is satisfied, or when they’re completely exhausted.”
“Alphas in special ruts retain some rationality, but the darker sides of their personalities tend to be amplified. Many mentally unstable Alpha criminals share this trait,” the policewoman explained. “Simply put, they’re more aggressive, more extreme, and more dangerous than the average Alpha.”
Recalling the crazed, bloodshot eyes of the Alpha at the amusement park, Shi Qi couldn’t help but furrow his brows.
His own questioning ended quickly, but even after a long wait, Shang Sui still hadn’t come out.
Fu Siyue had been worried and decided to tag along. While they waited, he kept probing about Shang Sui’s identity. “Who is he, really? With reflexes and skills like that, he must have had training. And earlier, he was hiding behind you, pretending to be weak. You never used to hang out with shady people like this—”
Shi Qi, growing increasingly annoyed, cut in coldly, “Have you said enough?”
Fu Siyue accidentally blurted out the truth, “Huh? Not really.”
“Shut up.”
When Shi Qi turned serious, his presence was overwhelming. Despite having more to say, Fu Siyue found himself completely silenced by that single command.
Still, he was genuinely concerned for Shi Qi. After mulling it over, he realized that if he involved his parents, both his main and backup accounts would probably remain on Shi Qi’s block list forever. Left with no better option, he decided to contact Lin Yan instead.
To get Lin Yan’s attention, Fu Siyue described Shang Sui as a demonic seducer, which coincidentally aligned perfectly with Lin Yan’s own suspicions.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
After finishing his statement, Shang Sui was about to leave when the police captain in charge of the case stood up and said, “Thank you for your cooperation.”
Shang Sui nodded and was about to respond with a polite “Thank you for your hard work,” when the captain suddenly shifted his tone. “There’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”
“We reviewed the surveillance footage carefully. Before the suspect made a move, it seemed like you had already sensed something was wrong.”
Shang Sui paused and looked up at him.
The question could be interpreted in several ways—the worst being that they suspected he had a connection to the attacker and prior knowledge of the incident.
The captain smiled kindly, making no effort to hide his intentions. “Don’t worry. We’ve investigated and found no link between you and the suspect. The reason you were held back a bit longer was just so we could verify that.”
“This question is purely out of personal curiosity. If it offends you, I apologize in advance.”
After a brief silence, Shang Sui replied softly, “…A hunch, I guess.”
The captain appeared thoughtful, then said sincerely, “Whatever the reason, thank you for what you did today. If it weren’t for you and your friend, that girl might not have made it out safely. And if the suspect hadn’t been stopped in time, things could’ve turned out much worse.”
When Shang Sui walked out, Shi Qi was standing in the hallway, speaking with the girl who had been attacked.
She seemed to be thanking him. Shi Qi, who usually appeared cool and aloof, felt his ears start to burn.
He waved his hand as if to say it was nothing, but when the girl bowed to him, he froze for a second before quickly bowing back.
Probably not used to situations like this, Shi Qi bowed so low in his flustered state that it was nearly a full 90 degrees. Shang Sui couldn’t help but smile at the sight.
The girl’s parents were standing nearby. When they saw Shang Sui, they came forward and thanked him repeatedly.
“You’re too polite. It was just what anyone should do.” Remembering how he’d hurriedly shoved the girl out of harm’s way, Shang Sui added, “I didn’t get a chance to see—she wasn’t hurt, was she?”
“Xiaxia is fine. We’re just relieved that you’re both okay, too.”
The girl’s mother’s eyes turned slightly red. Remembering how the other boy had also shown concern for them just now, her heart overflowed with emotion. “You’re both such good kids. We can’t possibly thank you enough for saving her! Our whole family will remember this forever…”
Shang Sui spoke with the girl’s parents a little longer and politely declined their offer of a gift in gratitude.
Not far away, Shi Qi noticed and waved at him. When the girl saw Shang Sui walk over, she launched into another round of thanks.
–
After saying goodbye to the family, the two of them descended the steps outside the police station.
On the way down, Shi Qi’s phone started vibrating nonstop. When he pulled it out, a flood of messages from Lin Yan popped up one after another.
Yanyan: [Fu Siyue said he ran into you at the amusement park, and you were attacked??]
Yanyan: [Why didn’t you tell me about something this serious!! Are you hurt??!]
17: [It’s all fine now. I was just giving a statement.]
Lin Yan responded with a long string of exclamation marks, clearly alarmed. Shi Qi reassured him again that everything was fine.
A moment later, another message came through.
Yanyan: [Fu Siyue also said some demonic seducer bewitched you and told me to come snap you out of it.]
Yanyan: [Is that true? Sounds so steamy.]
17: [What is he doing, making up ghost stories?]
17: [You actually trust anything that smooth-brained Fu Siyue says?]
That’s when Shi Qi suddenly remembered the person in question. He looked around but didn’t see Fu Siyue anywhere. If he remembered right, the guy had left over ten minutes ago and had told him to send a message once he got back to school.
Fu Siyue had probably known sticking around wouldn’t end well for him and slipped away while he still could.
Yanyan: [Fu Siyue sent me a photo.]
Even through the screen, Shi Qi could feel Lin Yan’s curiosity and excitement. [Let me see who you’ve been sneaking around with!]
Seriously?
Spreading rumors and taking secret photos?
Shi Qi debated whether to unblock Fu Siyue just to curse him out, when two voice messages from Lin Yan arrived at lightning speed. Without thinking, Shi Qi tapped on them.
To his surprise, Lin Yan’s voice was ten times louder than expected.
“Holy shit! Wearing something this sexy—who the hell is this guy?”
“He doesn’t look like he has a decent job! Is he trying to seduce you on purpose?”
Three seconds passed before Shi Qi finally processed Lin Yan’s outrageous words.
His cheeks flushed instantly, and he nearly threw his phone away. In a panic, he instinctively glanced at Shang Sui’s reaction, only to accidentally swipe to the next voice message.
Lin Yan delivered another critical hit: “But that’s perfect. Baby, you like this kind of flirty stuff…”
Damn it! He seriously wanted to mute Lin Yan for life!
Shi Qi was on the verge of losing it.
He didn’t even dare look at Shang Sui and just kept his head down like an ostrich.
Maybe Shang Sui didn’t hear it? Or if he did, maybe he wouldn’t think it was about him?
After all, who would flat-out tell a friend someone was being improper and seductive! That makes sense, right? Hahaha!
Shang Sui wasn’t saying anything, so he probably didn’t think much of it. It’s fine!
…Three, two, one.
That should be enough time.
Shang Sui thought to himself, ignoring Shi Qi’s flushed face and showing not a shred of sympathy.
Just as Shi Qi thought the crisis had passed and was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Shang Sui suddenly asked, “Was he talking about me?”
