TYMIMA Chapter 63

The air carried a faint fishy smell. Fine water droplets fell on Zhan Pingchuan’s clothes as the rain that had been building all night finally began to fall.

 

“Why are the lights on?” Zhan Pingchuan was slightly surprised.

 

Lance’s window had curtains drawn, but a faint yellow glow seeped through them.

 

Since the dormitory structures were all the same, Zhan Pingchuan could tell at a glance this was the bedside lamp.

 

He remembered that when sleeping in school dormitories, Lance didn’t have a habit of keeping lights on.

 

Had he forgotten to turn it off before bed?

 

Zhan Pingchuan raised his hand and knocked on Lance’s window.

 

Still no response.

 

The curtains only left a narrow gap, vaguely showing a cream-colored cabinet on one side.

 

Such a big incident had happened tonight—almost half the restricted zone’s people had run out to watch the excitement. Especially since it involved Blue Pivot, internal group chats in various districts were about to explode, until the First District director issued orders and discussion abruptly stopped.

 

Even Tang Li and Liu Bo had been awakened, secretly chatting with him about the gossip.

 

Lance was usually the most perceptive person, even having prophetic abilities.

 

Could he really not have woken up at all?

 

Could there be no one in the room at all?

 

This thought suddenly popped into Zhan Pingchuan’s mind.

 

His hand gradually reached toward the aluminum window frame, thumb hooking one corner, gaze fixed on the tightly drawn curtains. Then his arm exerted force—whoosh—

 

Lance’s dormitory window was pulled open the width of a forearm.

 

Morning wind quickly rushed into the room. The curtains blocking his view flapped a few times before being completely blown up by the wind.

 

The room’s interior was completely visible.

 

At High Tower Guild, after settling the unconscious Oliver, Lan Wendao was about to slip away when Lance blocked his path.

 

“Dad.” Lance smiled at Lan Wendao.

 

“Oh, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Lan Wendao played dumb.

 

Lance’s smile deepened. He reached out to straighten Lan Wendao’s wrinkled collar, his tone remarkably gentle: “About your connection with Uriel, and what the Rebellion Suppression has to do with me—you can’t keep hiding it forever, right?”

 

Lance could now confirm that the Rebellion Suppression was closely connected to him.

 

Lan Wendao had never married. He and his sister were both adopted children, but Lan Wendao never avoided mentioning how he adopted her in front of Dream Witch.

 

Which city, which orphanage, how the procedures were handled—everything was clear and traceable.

 

But when it came to Lance, it was obviously nonsense.

 

When he was three, Lan Wendao told him he went on a road trip and bought a big watermelon from a roadside melon field. Unexpectedly, when he cut it open, there was a child lying inside.

 

The melon farmer said this was a baby transformed from watermelon flesh, destined to be with him, and insisted he take it home to raise.

 

At the time, Lan Wendao had pinched the soft reddish-brown hair on Lance’s head, saying seriously: “See, that’s why baby’s hair is reddish-brown.”

 

 

Three-year-old Lance listened in bewilderment. For a long time, he firmly believed he had grown from a watermelon field.

 

At age five, Lance had already started reading children’s encyclopedias. The knowledge he learned conflicted with his childhood understanding. Normally, watermelons and humans should have reproductive isolation—after all, he wasn’t a plant system watermelon-form Awakened one.

 

Seeing he couldn’t hide it anymore, Lan Wendao changed his story.

 

He said while traveling the Caribbean, he became close with local natives, so the chief introduced him to a sacred mountain called Flower and Fruit Mountain. Just as he was about to climb up, there was a crack—thunder struck from the sky, splitting the mountain open, and baby Lance was crying in the cracked stone crevice.

 

The chief said he was the chosen one, born by absorbing heaven and earth’s spiritual energy and taking the essence of sun and moon.

 

By then Lance had begun suffering mental torment from the Outer God, and since only he could see the Outer God, he was indeed somewhat special, so Lance was half-convinced.

 

Until age seven, when Lance opened the Eastern myth called “Journey to the West.”

 

Lance: “…”

 

Later Lan Wendao’s story changed again, saying he went exploring in a primeval forest and found crawling baby Lance in a cave with no other humans around—lions, wolves, and tigers had been feeding him together.

 

But Lance completely stopped believing. He guessed Lan Wendao had recently read some novel or fairy tale.

 

The Rebellion Suppression happened eighteen years ago, and he was exactly eighteen this year—it was all too coincidental.

 

If Uriel’s death was also related to the Rebellion Suppression, then Lan Wendao should have met Uriel at that time, which was why he didn’t know Uriel had a younger brother.

 

Lan Wendao affectionately stroked Lance’s red hair, looking puzzled: “Sweetheart, why would you think that? Dad might hide from the whole world but never from you. I really don’t know anything.”

 

Lance tilted his head and blinked: “Oliver’s first-tier ability is [Heart Questioning], which can make Awakened ones below S-level tell the truth. If you’re willing—”

 

Lan Wendao said earnestly: “I’d definitely agree to any request from you, but how could Oliver do such a thing to his savior? Let’s not make things difficult for him.”

 

“Oh.” Lance raised an eyebrow, his tone lightly rising.

 

Lan Wendao timely raised his left arm, pointing at the time on his watch, saying with difficulty: “Sweetheart, you’ve been busy all night too. Shouldn’t you go back? Though Dad wants you to stay overnight, what if something happens in the restricted zone?”

 

Lance wasn’t in a hurry. He knew Lan Wendao would eventually be unable to hide it, so he chuckled meaningfully: “You’re so thoughtful. Let’s chat next time.”

 

Dream Witch propped her chin, watching from the side, couldn’t help applauding: “Such a heartwarming scene of filial piety can only be seen in our family.”

 

Lance noted Lan Wendao’s relieved expression, then turned to Mad Clown behind him: “Lukas, send me back.”

 

Mad Clown pinched his nose, swallowed another mouthful of Fata’s ointment with no will to live, then snapped his fingers, activating [Shadow Anchoring] to send Lance away.

 

The anchor point in the restricted zone was placed on Lance’s bed. He kept the bedside lamp on to cast shadows on the bedding, making it convenient to land directly on the bed.

 

Lance experienced brief darkness and dizziness before his body suddenly dropped, touching the soft mattress.

 

But simultaneously, his skin felt the unmistakably clear outdoor wind blowing.

 

He couldn’t possibly have left the window open!

 

Lance’s mental alarm instantly maxed out. He snapped his eyes open, his right hand almost simultaneously pressing the Black Mamba’s Fang at his lower back!

 

Zhan Pingchuan: “.”

 

Lance: “.”

 

In Zhan Pingchuan’s view, just as the curtains were blown open, he heard a thud. Lance sat on the bed fully dressed and alert, his right hand mysteriously hidden behind him.

 

In Lance’s view, he had just teleported back to the dormitory to see the window half-open, with Zhan Pingchuan’s hands braced on the windowsill, staring at each other wide-eyed.

 

Both were simultaneously startled. All the night’s thrills couldn’t match this moment’s sharp intensity.

 

Lance thought: When did little idiot get here? Did he notice? How should I explain appearing out of thin air?

 

Zhan Pingchuan thought: With little fox’s posture, does he think I’m some improper Alpha coming to take advantage at night?

 

Tense atmosphere spread through the air, breathing sounds almost disappeared, leaving only the oblivious curtains still dancing in the wind between their gazes.

 

“You…” Both spoke simultaneously, then stopped.

 

“Classmate Zhan, what are you doing?”

 

“Little classmate Lan, why are you wearing outer clothes?”

 

Again, speaking simultaneously.

 

The instant he heard Zhan Pingchuan’s question, Lance realized his timing was perfect—Zhan Pingchuan hadn’t noticed his absence at all.

 

So he relaxed slightly, his sharp gaze instantly softening, his body no longer as tense, naturally saying: “Sleepwalking.”

 

Zhan Pingchuan: “?”

 

Lance said seriously: “About one-tenth of people are influenced by dreams to unconsciously perform certain behaviors. You can read ‘Research on several manifestations and treatment techniques of sleepwalking’ for details.”

 

One-tenth was made up, and so was the article title, because he knew Zhan Pingchuan would never check, and such long professional terminology said once would be impossible for Zhan Pingchuan to remember.

 

Lance was right. In Zhan Pingchuan’s ears, this sounded like “%&*#￥&%&*……this article.”

 

“Alright, baby.” Zhan Pingchuan decided to skip academic questions. He came to confess, not to study. “Remember I said when you woke up this morning, I’d tell you a secret?”

 

“Mm.” Lance got off the bed and came to the window.

 

Zhan Pingchuan was much taller than him, but now one stood on stone bricks outside the window while the other stood on marble inside the room, evening out their height difference—Lance was even slightly taller.

 

Zhan Pingchuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

 

Fine rain dampened his hair, ink-black strands hanging over his thin eyelids. Bedside lamp light from Lance’s shoulder fell on his face, coating every inch of wet skin with warm light.

 

“I look lazy but am actually quite proper.” After all, he’d been constantly meeting potential marriage partners from guilds wanting to ally with Ghost Eye since childhood, but never felt anything for those well-off, talented Omegas.

 

“Though I got in with the lowest scores, my combat experience should be strong.” After all, he only reviewed for half a month to get into Star University to catch Erdiff, but had been to countless underground cities since childhood, never missing a Ghost Eye Guild mission.

 

“My family isn’t incredibly wealthy, but self-sufficiency is no problem.” Like controlling over twenty high-level underground cities and occupying millions of square kilometers of Desert City.

 

“Before coming to Star University, I never thought about dating.” Who told me I came to commit crimes.

 

“But unexpectedly, I now especially, especially like a little red fox.”

 

“From first sight, I really wanted to mark him, but he was afraid, so I immediately couldn’t bear to.”

 

This was Zhan Pingchuan’s first time feeling ‘heartache’ for an outsider.

 

Or perhaps it shouldn’t be called ‘heartache’ but ‘love at first sight.’

 

“When he cries I feel heartache, when he’s angry I want to comfort him.” Even when he likes going to the bathroom, I want to buy him a big one.

 

“So—”

 

Outside the window, autumn rain fell continuously; inside, warm light glowed softly.

 

Zhan Pingchuan’s eyelids folded deeply, a raindrop rolling down his Adam’s apple into his shirt, two turquoise pendants clear as if soaked in blue waves.

 

Lance’s breathing quickened.

 

Tonight was extraordinary for him.

 

He had accomplished something great—he rescued Oliver from the crisis-ridden restricted zone, from under Si Hongche’s nose.

 

He uncovered eighteen-year-old secrets, even lifting a corner of his own origins.

 

As White Pharaoh, watching the Federation’s highest power institution being manipulated in his palm brought him great satisfaction and enjoyment.

 

But none of it compared to this moment—his feelings as Lance.

 

His spirit was extremely excited, every cell in his body jumping. Two extreme emotions seemed to converge, finally reaching their peak after “so.”

 

He urgently needed someone to share with, someone passionate.

 

“—I want to be your Alpha. I promise to never betray you, never hurt you. No matter what happens, no matter how far apart we are, thousands upon thousands of times, I will find you.”

 

He didn’t know why he blurted out such words—this wasn’t the same as the confession he’d planned earlier.

 

Perhaps it was Oliver and Si Hongche’s grievances that moved him, or something else.

 

He couldn’t wait to prove to Lance that he would always be by his side.

 

“Is this your secret?” Lance reached out, wiping away the raindrop on his Adam’s apple. Cool skin touched his fingertip, that protruding bone rolling under his finger.

 

I already knew this secret long ago.

 

Zhan Pingchuan caught Lance’s pale finger, his gaze frank, breathing heavy, his tone carrying some uncertainty: “Are you… surprised? Shocked? Is it a bit sudden?”

 

“…”

 

Lance looked into his eyes, asking sincerely: “Classmate Zhan, what do you think our previous kisses were?”

 

Zhan Pingchuan spoke bluntly: “Me secretly taking advantage.”

 

Lance paused, but soon slowly lifted the corners of his lips, his eyes curving into a cunning yet beautiful arc.

 

“I see. Then I’m very surprised, very shocked, and I really like this secret.” As he spoke, he leaned down slightly, moving closer to Zhan Pingchuan, lightly pecking his lips. “I will also always protect you, my Alpha.”

 

Soft long hair slipped from Lance’s shoulder, fluttering in the wind. Fine rain finally fell on his hair tips and forehead. In his amber pupils reflected a distant rainbow on the horizon.

 

“Little fox…” Zhan Pingchuan’s palm cupped Lance’s nape, deepening the kiss. His slightly cool lips in the wind and rain collided with Lance’s warm breath, like increasingly fierce flames spreading through his heart.

 

Soon, Lance’s red hair hung damply, his eyes also moist. Gentian pheromones deliberately crashed against his sensitive glands, making star magnolia fragrance stir restlessly, arousing indescribable desires deep within.

 

Lance bit Zhan Pingchuan’s lip, his fingers pressing white marks on broad shoulders, breathing rapidly: “What next?”

 

Zhan Pingchuan pretended not to understand, caressing his flushed red lips: “Next what?”

 

Lance pressed his lips together. Star magnolia pheromones had uncontrollably filled the room.

 

Zhan Pingchuan’s eyes were especially bright and dark in the rainy night, like obsidian soaked in deep pools.

 

“Omegas must tell their Alpha frankly what they want.”

 

Lance’s reddened ear bones hung with water droplets. He slowly relaxed his grip, leaning toward Zhan Pingchuan’s shoulder. He brushed aside his damp red hair, revealing the small, pale gland beside his neck bone.

 

“Want to be marked, like last time, very comfortable.”

 

At the end of bloody storms, on the eve of dawn’s first light, at an undisturbed small window, two people unscrupulously vented the night’s thrills.

 

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 (advanced chapters available on kofi)