The kiss caught Eugene completely off guard. It came so suddenly, yet was so deep.
Luo Hai clung tightly to his neck, prying his lips apart, greedily drawing in his taste.
Eugene’s mind went blank for a few seconds before he suddenly flipped the situation around—pressing Luo Hai against a nearby tree trunk and kissing him back even more intensely.
Luo Hai was far more passionate than before. No matter how fiercely Eugene attacked, he met him head-on, pressing even closer. The faint scent of irises spread in the cool air, no longer masked or restrained, recklessly spilling its intoxicating fragrance, chipping away at Eugene’s self-control.
Above them, fireworks continued to bloom in the night sky. The flickering light illuminated their faces. Luo Hai pulled back slightly, his cheeks flushed, eyes and lips glistening. The warm breath he exhaled turned to white mist, curling around his nose.
“Eugene,” his voice was hoarse. “I—”
A single vowel barely escaped his throat before Eugene pressed a finger against his lips, silencing him.
“Don’t say it,” Eugene murmured, lowering his head until their foreheads touched. His breath was heavy. “Not now. I don’t want you saying those words like you’re about to walk to your death.”
Luo Hai glared at him in frustration. “But—”
“Keep them,” Eugene said firmly, pressing a hand over Luo Hai’s left chest. “Hold them here. Until we win. Until nothing can stand in our way.”
A sharp ache rose in Luo Hai’s chest. He had to summon all his strength to stop himself from tearing up.
He was a stubborn person, someone with unwavering self-control. From his second year in Nantes onward, he had never shed a tear or let out a single cry of pain.
But Eugene always had a way of making his eyes redden effortlessly, of unraveling him in an instant.
“Luo Hai, wait, Luo—!”
Eugene’s head hit the soft grass with a thud. He hadn’t even fully landed before a pair of long legs straddled his waist.
“Not waiting.” Luo Hai’s voice was low, but there was a youthful defiance in it.
…
Fireworks continued to light up the night. The motorcycle stood at an angle in the overgrown field, its frame catching the glow of the distant flames, casting a long shadow behind it.
Dry grass and fallen leaves rustled softly. In the quiet of the night, a sparrow tilted its head, curiously listening to the ambiguous sounds coming from beneath the tree.
Eugene’s tousled hair brushed against Luo Hai’s temple, tickling him. Luo Hai reached up, hooked an arm around Eugene’s neck, and left a trail of damp kisses along his jaw and cheek.
Eugene pressed down on Luo Hai’s lips, stopping his random kisses. His breathing was unsteady as he looked down. “Does it hurt?”
“It feels good.” Luo Hai’s voice was hoarse, with a slight upward lilt at the end. After so many times together, he had long since figured out Eugene’s desires—he knew exactly what kind of response would drive him wild.
He could see the fire instantly ignite in Eugene’s eyes at his answer. But this time, Eugene took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his desire. He tightened his grip on Luo Hai’s wrists and insisted, “Don’t dodge the question. I asked if it hurts.”
Luo Hai had no idea what was up with Eugene tonight—why, at such a moment, he was suddenly fixated on such a trivial question.
“It doesn’t hurt.” He lifted his knee slightly, brushing against Eugene in an encouraging hint. “move.”
“Does it hurt, or not?” Eugene pressed down slightly, giving him a final ultimatum.
Luo Hai glared at him, frustrated. “What does it matter if it hurts or not? I’ve long since gotten used to it. Besides—”
“No.” Eugene’s voice was soft. “If it hurts, you have to tell me. I need to know. If you don’t even tell me, then you won’t tell anyone. You’ll just keep your pain bottled up inside, and no one in the world will know. And that would break my heart.”
Luo Hai’s eyes burned again. To cover it up, he buried his face into Eugene’s neck, staying silent for a moment before finally murmuring, “A little.”
“A little?”
“…mmh.”
“Just a little?” Eugene kept pressing.
Luo Hai let out a sharp breath and glared at him angrily. Then, as if resigning himself, he snapped, “It hurts. Every single time, it hurts. It hurts so much I can barely endure it. It’s not pheromone resistance, and it’s not that you’re not gentle enough. It’s my heart. Every time I see you, every time I touch you, it aches so much it goes numb. There’s no cure, no remedy. It’s been like this for fifteen years. Are you satisfied now?”
Eugene’s eyes gleamed under the moonlight, sharp and wild like a predator’s. He took a deep breath, then pressed down, capturing Luo Hai’s lips in a kiss.
“No. I’ll never be satisfied—
Not until the day I can take that pain away.”
……
By the time Eugene brought Luo Hai back to the front of the Lightwing Hotel, it was already late at night.
Luo Hai leaned lazily against Eugene’s back, his expression carrying a satisfied exhaustion. A gust of night wind blew past, making him sneeze. He rubbed his nose.
“I told you it was cold outside, but you insisted on staying out there. What’s so appealing about the middle of nowhere? The hotel was only a few minutes away.” Eugene parked the motorcycle and pulled a tissue from his pocket.
“Oh? So I suppose your pants just magically slipped off on their own?” Luo Hai raised a brow. “And things just happened to—”
“Alright, alright!” Eugene cut him off, pressing the tissue against Luo Hai’s face. “Fine, I was at fault too, okay? Now hurry inside. If you catch a cold, the entire Lightwing is going to have my head tomorrow.”
Luo Hai laughed as he blew his nose. His nose turned red from the tissue’s friction, and his voice carried a slight nasal tone. “If you hold me while we sleep, I won’t catch a cold.”
Eugene’s heart itched at those words. He wanted nothing more than to pick Luo Hai up right then and there and carry him straight to bed.
But reality had other plans. The moment they stepped into the hotel, Xiao Lau walked over with a serious expression.
“You’re finally back. The boss is here. He’s waiting inside—says he has something important to discuss with you.”
Eugene’s expression paused for just a second before shifting instantly into a more composed mode. He shrugged off his coat and tossed it onto a chair. “I’ll head in now. Luo Hai, go to bed first. Don’t wait up for me.”
Luo Hai frowned.
Again.
Ever since he joined the Lightwing Society, Eugene had been secretly handling things behind his back countless times. If it were just that, he could still turn a blind eye. But now, Eugene was blatantly shutting him out—and that was pushing the limits of his patience.
Luo Hai grabbed Eugene’s arm, stopping him from walking forward.
“Who is the boss? What are you discussing?” Luo Hai asked bluntly. “What exactly is so important that I can’t know about it?”
Normally, no matter how tense or serious the atmosphere, Eugene could always crack a joke, find some roundabout way to dodge the question.
But this time, he didn’t. He didn’t deflect, didn’t joke, didn’t even avoid eye contact. He just stood there in silence as the air grew heavier and heavier around them.
That sudden silence only made Luo Hai’s anger flare hotter. If Eugene had made some careless joke, he could at least pretend that this thoughtless Alpha wasn’t doing it on purpose.
But now, his attitude made it crystal clear—
There was something Eugene deliberately didn’t want him to know.
“What? Do you still think I’m actually an undercover agent sent by the prosecution office?” Luo Hai laughed angrily. “If that’s the case, why don’t you go all the way? Treat me like a hostage—tie me up in a room, slide my meals in through the door three times a day. How about that?”
Eugene frowned. “That’s not what I think.”
“Then why?” Luo Hai pressed. “Why haven’t you told me a single word about Lightwing’s plans in all these days? What is it that I can’t know? What are you guarding against?”
“I told you, I’m not guarding against you!” Eugene snapped, frustrated.
“Then tell me the truth!” Luo Hai raised his voice.
Caught between them, Xiao Lau was at a loss, running a hand through his hair, pulling out a few strands in distress. He had never been good at handling arguments. After a long pause, he finally turned to Eugene.
“Boss, is there really a need to make such a big deal out of this? I get where you’re coming from, but you can’t keep hiding this from him forever. Sooner or later, it’s something that has to be discussed with the person involved…”
Person involved?
Luo Hai immediately turned his gaze to Eugene, who remained silent.
After a long, tense silence, Eugene finally let out a slow breath. Then, as if surrendering, he nodded.
“I get it. Come on, I’ll take you to see the boss.”
Luo Hai exhaled in relief, tossing his coat onto a chair before quickly catching up with Eugene.
Eugene led him through the lobby and into the elevator. He took out a key, unlocked a small panel on the control panel, and revealed a hidden “B2” button beneath a metal cover.
He pressed it, and the elevator began to descend. The smooth metal walls reflected their images, swaying slightly with the elevator’s motion.
“Who exactly is the boss?” Luo Hai’s voice echoed clearly in the enclosed space.
“The one I mentioned tonight—the major benefactor of Lightwing,” Eugene replied. “This hotel is one of his properties. Strictly speaking, he was the one who first came up with the idea of ‘Lightwing.’ I just carried on his vision.”
With a soft ding, the elevator came to a stop.
Luo Hai followed Eugene out into a spacious underground facility.
The place was simply but cleanly furnished. One side of the walls was lined with bookshelves filled with banned books and old documents. On the other side stood a row of neatly arranged refrigeration units. Luo Hai glanced inside—every one of them was stocked with bottles of inhibitor solution.
Further in, an array of weapons, ammunition, and high-tech equipment filled the space—enough to make the entire prosecutor’s office go pale.
Luo Hai realized that this was Lightwing’s true “headquarters.” Everything the organization had, everything they could use to challenge the world, was gathered here.
Eugene didn’t stop. He led Luo Hai deeper down a hallway, turning a corner before stepping into a large conference room.
At the round table, an elderly man sat quietly, holding a cup of tea and taking small sips from time to time.
Upon seeing Eugene, the man’s deep blue eyes narrowed slightly, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He gave a nod, showing no surprise at Luo Hai’s unexpected presence.
Eugene gestured toward the man and introduced him to Luo Hai.
“This is Lightwing’s benefactor—the boss. He was also the first to propose the idea of an Omega sanctuary.” He paused before saying the name. “Mr. Shelley Manta.”
[mfn]
T/N:
You can read more about Shelly Manta in Omega manual. I translated it not too long ago. So you can check that out if you haven’t.
[/mfn]
