Title: SOS Xiangxiang!!!!
Content: Does anyone know what method Chun Shijiu used to snatch the fragrance away from You Qi? I want that too, waaaa [crazy][crazy]. Or did he trade some kind of treasure with You Qi? If I have it, I can do it too!
1L: I came in because of the title. I heard about it, too. can’t believe it, can’t believe it. You Qi seems so possessive.
2L: Yeah, the level of possessiveness is unreal. He even insisted on hugging Zhou Mu just to sniff him constantly. I secretly took a picture and showed it to some friends from another school — they said they looked like a loving couple. I burst out laughing. Want some of that love?
3L: Hahaha, it kinda does look like that. Honestly, if it were me, I’d probably be hugging and sniffing him all day, too!
4L: Emmmm actually, I think a bit differently. I feel like You Qi treats him more like a pet…
5L: Keeping a pet in the dorm? So twisted. I love it. Hehehe.
6L: Ughhh, now he’s got a new owner. So jealous. If Chun Shijiu can, I can too! I might not be able to beat You Qi, but surely I can beat Chun Shijiu? Just wait, once the sports competition is over, I’m sneaking into Chun Shijiu’s dorm to steal him!
7L: You might not get the chance. I heard neither Zhou Mu nor You Qi intend to drop out of the competition, and word is spreading among the contestants from other schools that Zhou Mu smells amazing. Chun Shijiu’s not even competing—once the match starts, if You Qi doesn’t protect Zhou Mu, that scent of his might not last long. [lights candle]
8L: Nooooo—
There are 50 teams competing in the team combat event. The first-round qualifiers will be split into groups of 10 through a random draw. Each group will have a chaotic free-for-all, battling to capture a victory flag, and the top 3 from each group will advance.
That gives us 15 teams, which then go into round two. In that round, there’ll be three groups of five teams each, and the winner from each will move on to the final round, where 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will be decided.
Both the first and second rounds happen on the same day, back-to-back, with no real prep time. The draw is done right before the match — it’s all about how well the players can react unprepared.
The final, high-stakes match takes place three days later, giving players time to rest and study their opponents — and giving the audience more time to place bets and gossip.
Now, right before the first round begins, rumors of infighting in Hualing’s needed team are spreading all over the school. Everyone’s watching to see how things play out on the field.
The other three teammates — Yan Xingke, Xu Tianyi, and Gui Youqi — each had their own suspicions. Zhou Mu hadn’t dropped out and still seemed calm day after day, so maybe things weren’t that bad between him and You Qi?
But on game day, they realized: Zhou Mu and You Qi were basically strangers now — not even speaking!
They didn’t even arrive together. You Qi came solo, while Zhou Mu showed up with Chun Shijiu.
Chun Shijiu had even brought Zhou Mu’s lunchbox, water bottle, towel, and other little things. Compared to how well You Qi had cared for Zhou Mu before, Chun Shijiu was doing even more.
The only difference: Chun Shijiu wasn’t constantly carrying Zhou Mu around like You Qi had.
Gui Youqi’s heart skipped a beat watching all this. He put on a fake smile and asked, “You and You Qi still fighting?”
Chun Shijiu snapped, “None of your damn business!”
Gui Youqi glared and cursed him silently.
On the other side, You Qi took off his jacket to pin on his team number. When he did, Zhou Mu couldn’t help but glance over — You Qi was still wearing the white shirt Zhou Mu had given him. Zhou Mu stared blankly.
You Qi noticed the look and suddenly realized it himself — and felt a surge of shame and frustration. Zhou Mu saw him as backup food, and yet here he was, carefully cleaning and wearing the shirt Zhou Mu had given him. Every. Day.
The two of them fell into an awkward silence.
Chun Shijiu, numb from being dragged into all of this, handed over Zhou Mu’s lunchbox. “Pre-match nutrition?”
Zhou Mu instantly forgot the intense stare-off with You Qi and happily took the lunch, digging in. This Chun Shijiu — finally learning his place after some lessons.
You Qi: “…”
The tension in the air was thick.
Seeing how well Zhou Mu was getting along with his new roommate, You Qi laughed bitterly, grabbed his jacket, and walked off, unable to bear watching Chun Shijiu trying to curry favor any longer.
What the hell?! So I can’t even eat now? It’s not like I was eating you! Why are you storming off?!
Zhou Mu angrily stuffed more food into his mouth. So annoying.
Everyone was present, and it was almost time to start. Lord Cong arrived too, to organize the drawing lots and get informed consent forms signed.
When he handed the papers to You Qi, Lord Cong’s gaze was complicated.
You Qi scanned the papers quickly, signed, and returned them, coldly saying, “Keep looking at me like that, and I’ll send you to see Duke Huan of Qi.”
Lord Cong had witnessed their argument and had known Zhou Mu since middle school. Thinking about it now, You Qi assumed LordCong had probably been laughing at him this whole time.
Lord Cong: “…”
“I’m not mocking you,” he said speechlessly.
He glanced over at Zhou Mu, who was eating under Chun Shijiu’s attentive care, and whispered, “I wish I had the right to mock you. But if it were me—if I’d said even one of the things you said to Zhou Mu or done any of what you did—I’d already be six feet under, visiting Xiao Bai!”
By ‘Xiao Bai,’ he meant Duke Huan of Qi, whose real name was Jiang Xiaobai.
Lord Cong couldn’t help it, so he said these words.
Lord Cong had known Zhou Mu for years. Back when Zhou Mu was a bratty, growing kid in his hometown, he was wild beyond words. At Hualing, school rules might restrain him on the surface, but judging from how he had beaten Xie Rulin without hesitation, clearly, his nature hadn’t changed.
And yet, such a person like Zhou Mu actually tolerated You Qi’s presumptuousness. Before, he had even once shared a bit of his food with You Qi—that alone had scared Lord Cong half to death. Maybe it was because he himself was too used to being oppressed, but Lord Cong really wanted to say: You Qi had no idea how lucky he was.
After hearing this, You Qi’s expression darkened, but he was deep in thought.
What Lord Cong said forced him to reflect rationally on all the ‘treatment’ he’d received. Could it be that, in Zhou Mu’s world, he had already been granted something unprecedented?
You Qi had once thought in a self-tormenting way: Zhou Mu is a taotie by nature, so he deceived me just to eat me—everything was fake.
But after hearing Lord Cong’s words, You Qi began to harbor thoughts he shouldn’t have. Maybe Zhou Mu wasn’t actually that heartless.
But… Zhou Mu clearly doesn’t want me anymore…
With that in mind, You Qi shot a chilling glare at the despicable little man Chun Shijiu.
……
After You Qi drew lots on behalf of the team and confirmed their group and battlefield, it was time to prepare for the first round of the qualifying match.
One could see the referees randomly planting three flags across the field— these symbolized qualification. In the melee, the three groups who could hold on to the flags until the end would be the winners.
“Next up is the much-anticipated first round of the team combat event! Our contestants have been divided into five groups, and the five matches will take place simultaneously. Group assignments and battlefields were determined by drawing, and the group list is now up on the big screen. Let’s take a look—one of the most popular and hyped teams is You Qi’s team from Hualing, widely regarded as favorites. Although there are rumors of internal conflict recently… cough, let’s hope they can pull through. We also have the Cang Bi team, who surprised everyone by winning the ‘Eight-Thousand Miles’ event—can they repeat the miracle?”
The announcer’s voice echoed throughout the stadium, and dozens of contestants were ready and raring to go.
As the camera panned across the contestants, it lingered on You Qi for quite a while, even zooming in on the muzzle talisman on his mouth— such was the treatment reserved for fierce beasts. He wasn’t even allowed to remove it for a combat event. The fact that he was allowed to compete despite being under restriction only emphasized how formidable he was.
Teams that drew the same group as You Qi looked visibly troubled—it was clear that one of the qualifying spots was as good as taken. That being the case, it wasn’t hard to imagine that the other teams might gang up on You Qi’s.
The crowd of students and contestants watching live all held their breath—this was going to be one intense match.
Besides You Qi, the person who got the most screen time was Zhou Mu. Unlike during the opening ceremony, where he had climbed directly onto You Qi’s back, he now stood two meters away, silent and seemingly preoccupied. This made many wonder if You Qi would even help Zhou Mu during the match.
During their time at Hualing, many other school contestants had even heard of Zhou Mu. They now watched with curiosity.
When the camera zoomed in on Zhou Mu, the announcer didn’t say anything—just made a ‘tsk tsk’ sound and sighed, as if to say, “Such a delicacy… who will get to taste him in the end?”
With Xie Rulin’s command, all the contestants entered their respective battlefields. Zhou Mu’s five-man team drew a not-so-big forest.
The stadium screen split into five panels. In all the other zones, teams began brawling the moment they entered, scrambling for the flags.
Only in the group with You Qi did things remain eerily quiet. All the teams immediately hunkered down in hiding—trying to survive first.
Though this was a team event, You Qi made no attempt to stay with his teammates. With a flick of his right hand, he conjured a blade of wind and strode alone into the forest. It looked like he planned to hunt down and eliminate the other teams one by one—but he looked… kinda pissed?
You almost wanted to light a candle for his future opponents. He seemed like he had some serious anger he wanted to vent in the arena.
The Hualing students watching all gasped in unison. More than pitying You Qi’s poor opponents, they were concerned: he really didn’t bring Zhou Mu with him! Had he truly abandoned Zhou Mu for good?
Even though it was somewhat expected, seeing it happen in real-time still caused an uproar.
In the arena, Yan Xingke could only give a bitter laugh. His emotions had been a rollercoaster from pre-game to now. You Qi had looked at Chun Shijiu with such murderous eyes several times that Yan Xingke had worried he might take it out on Zhou Mu.
Now it seemed that although You Qi was ignoring Zhou Mu, at least he wasn’t hurting him. That was a silver lining, he supposed.
He dug a small pit and sighed, saying comfortingly, “Junior Brother, just hide in here for now. We just need to hold on until You Qi finishes off the rest. Don’t be scared. I think he still has some feelings left… going off on his own like this is kind of protecting us… I guess?”
Zhou Mu didn’t respond. From his initial excitement about competing for the prize money, he now seemed uninterested—frustrated even, likely from what had happened before the match.
He looked at You Qi’s back, a sudden thought flashing through his mind: After this fight, will there be blood on his shirt again?
Gui Youqi was starting to get a little antsy, licking his lips and suggesting, “Yeah, let’s go in deeper and wait.”
His tone and expression were so creepy and perverse that Yan Xingke immediately tensed up and asked warily, “What do you mean ‘you two’? What are you trying to do?”
He tried to push Zhou Mu behind him… but Zhou Mu didn’t move, head lowered like he was too scared to react. Sigh. Without You Qi around, the little junior brother had gone timid again. Which was probably wise—better scared than foolishly bold.
Gui Youqi, a mix of excitement and fear on his face, was clearly itching to act. He’d also noticed how distant Zhou Mu and You Qi had become—and Chun Shijiu, Zhou Mu’s current protector, wasn’t even on the battlefield.
He’d lost face because of Zhou Mu—eaten, humiliated, even forced to compete!
Before, he had You Qi watching over him. Outside the school, Chun Shijiu had taken over. But if he missed this chance… he might never get another shot before graduation. Thinking about the legendary intoxicating scent of Zhou Mu, his thoughts became uncontrollable.
Could today… be my chance for revenge?
Gui Youqi took a step toward Zhou Mu. At this distance, there was no way You Qi couldn’t see what was happening—but he did absolutely nothing, even as Zhou Mu looked at him with a pleading expression.
Just as I thought…
Perfect…
Blood was practically rushing to his head—Gui Youqi trembled slightly with excitement, completely throwing away his rationality. Whatever he was about to do here, it was reasonable, legal, and fully compliant!
“Do you regret it? Hm?” For the second time, Gui Youqi looked at Zhou Mu with threatening eyes. “Don’t worry. For the integrity of our team, and out of respect for Chun Shijiu, your owner, I won’t eat all of you. Let me taste you… see what you really are.”
Never in a million years would they have expected that their own team would spawn a traitor before the other teams could do anything to them.
The live audience watching through the big screen let out a collective sigh—internal betrayal was rare in combat events, but it had happened before.
Yan Xingke and Xu Tianyi, clearly on Zhou Mu’s side, immediately moved to stop Gui Youqi.
But Gui Youqi instantly morphed, sprouting several massive tentacles. One lashed around Yan Xingke, another swatted Xu Tianyi away, and a third coiled toward Zhou Mu!
Yan Xingke’s gaze, Xu Tianyi’s gaze, and the gazes of every single viewer watching the broadcast—all turned toward Zhou Mu, who was often sluggish, lazy and whose reactions seemed even slower than an average human’s. Many looked on with expressions of pity or reluctant awe.
But then Zhou Mu, still with his head lowered, suddenly raised one hand—and effortlessly caught the powerful, fast-moving tentacle with his bare hand.
The tentacles of the devilfish-like creature were lined with dense neurons—much like a brain—making them acutely sensitive and capable of autonomous response. Yet now, it couldn’t escape the grasp of that pale, delicate-looking hand, which clamped down tight.
Zhou Mu’s slender fingers slid precisely into the cross-shaped muscle structure. As the lateral muscles tensed—twist. Snap.
Crack.
The tentacle fell to the ground, still twitching and curling.
Even after separation from the main body, its nervous system stubbornly broadcasted one clear message: fear.
“AAAAAAAHHHH!!!”
Only then did Gui Youqi let out a gut-wrenching scream, shaking with pain and disbelief as he cradled the remains of his severed limb. Even after the scream, his mouth stayed open, frozen in agony and confusion.
In front of the screen, thousands of Hualing students and faculty mirrored Gui Youqi— mouths slightly agape. But unlike him, what they felt was pure shock.
This is…
What… just happened?
Only now did Zhou Mu slowly raise his eyes. His pupils were beginning to glow a rich amber.
Zhou Mu’s racial traits could be summed up as: If I bloom, prey will come to me. He usually preferred to sit quietly, disguised as prey, waiting for fools to walk right into his trap. He avoided revealing his identity unless absolutely necessary. In biological terms, it was perfect mimicry.
Just a few days ago, he’d even threatened everyone who saw his true form—warning them not to reveal it, lest it ruin his chances to deceive others later.
But now? Zhou Mu wasn’t in a good mood.
Okay—he was in a terrible mood.
He was so irritated, he didn’t even feel like pretending anymore. The months-long mimicry— textbook-level in its precision—was now fully discarded.
After snapping the tentacle clean, Zhou Mu walked toward Gui Youqi. With each step, his body transformed further, starting from his eyes. By the third step, he had taken on his true form—a fearsome beast, a taotie body, and dragon-like horns.
This—this—was the race Gui Youqi had been so eager to ‘taste’. The true form that nearly all the Hualing students had guessed at and coveted for so long. It was just as shocking—but in a completely different way than they had imagined.
Zhou Mu slammed his foot down on Gui Youqi, letting out a low, feral growl—
The aura of an apex predator exploded outward in an instant. Its sheer intensity made even the spectators outside the arena weak in the knees, as if they too were trapped in that terrifying battleground. A bone-deep fear rose from their very blood, and for a moment, they no longer felt like observers—but like prey being hunted.
And in truth, they were within that predator’s range. Everyone understood this now. If Zhou Mu wanted to, even from their faraway seats, they were no safer than Gui Youqi beneath his claw.
Thud. That was the sound of Yan Xingke’s body giving out, collapsing to the ground. His throat couldn’t even produce a sound as he watched the scene unfold in stunned silence.
The master of disguise had torn away his mask and now licked his soft pink paw pad:
“Don’t worry, Guigui… I won’t eat all of you either.”
The author has somthing to say:
Zhou Mu: Gui Gui, are you satisfied with what you saw?
![After losing all his wealth, the ancestor rose from his coffin [BL]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Your-paragraph-text-1.png "After losing all his wealth, the ancestor rose from his coffin [BL]")
