The steam had turned Gu Yin’s skin a light pink, his eyes glistening with moisture.

He wiped the water off his face and scooped the cat back into his arms.

“Meow~”

The pouty-faced cat was born with an unhappy expression, but its voice was soft and sweet, a result of the careful attention it had received since it was young—wild cats, on the other hand, usually let out sharp cries to warn enemies.

Xiao Zong probably liked this kind of soft, harmless demeanor. Mr. Ye also seemed quite gentle.

The fox was right, no Alpha can resist a gentle approach.

Gu Yin suddenly recalled his stern demeanor during training and felt as though that time was long past.

Commander squirmed in his arms, trying to escape, and its big tail swiped across Gu Yin’s face, splashing him with water.

Gu Yin laughed as he held onto it.

Xiao Zong, listening to the laughter through his earpiece, stood frozen. He could almost imagine Gu Yin’s smiling eyes, and for a moment, he forgot to be angry.

Gu Yin was always so cautious, his cold and obedient demeanor only emphasized by the way his deer-like eyes would gaze at Xiao Zong when he stared at him.

Xiao Zong knew what he was thinking—the little secretary had bold ideas but no guts to act on them. Xiao Zong knew that too.

But to hear it so blatantly in a situation like this—

“Little kitty, do you know my name?”

Gu Yin paused for two seconds and then suddenly laughed again.

“Gu Yin, my name is Gu Yin.” His voice slowed, becoming raspy. “Gu, as in ‘intentional’… Yin, as in ‘seduction.’”

“Meow~”

Even though Xiao Zong knew Gu Yin was just playing around with the cat, it felt like he had seen something he shouldn’t have. He quickly cut off the feed.

The smart butler [What’s Going On] chimed in, “Do you need me to lower the temperature in the villa? You seem a bit hot.”

Xiao Zong didn’t reply.

The AI continued, “Your pheromone levels are rising. Shall I call for med—”

“No need,” Xiao Zong finally found his voice, snapping, “Stop meddling and reconnect immediately!”

He caught a glimpse of his own reddened ears in the darkened screen.

He had already taken a sufficient dose of suppressants, but it felt like they had expired or something. His pheromones were surging uncontrollably inside his body.

Being the responsible system that it was, [What’s Going On] said, “Master, you are a fully functioning Alpha in the prime of your youth—”

“That’s not how you use ‘prime of your youth’!” Xiao Zong interrupted angrily. “Are you going to reconnect or do I need to format you?”

There was a reason AI systems hadn’t been widely adopted yet—they just didn’t think like normal people.

Xiao Zong felt like he was about to lose his mind from anger.

Unknowingly, that subtle sadness from feeling betrayed—the kind that made him feel like the victor who had suddenly lost—had dissipated.

The study was connected to the bedroom, but there was a door separating them. As per his usual rule, the servants weren’t allowed to enter without permission, so the tray that had held mango pudding still sat on the desk.

It was empty.

Not sweet enough.

He replayed the taste of the pudding in his mind and felt an inexplicable sensation, as if a cat had softly scratched at his heart, leaving a lingering itch that was both painful and oddly pleasant.

He wanted… something sweeter.

Fortunately, [What’s Going On] finally connected to the right place this time.

[Beep beep—!]

But it wasn’t the villa that had been tapped into, it was somewhere in the forest.

**

The villa was located on Lu Ming Mountain, named after the line “Yo-yo deer calls, feeding on wild plants.” The wild trees on the mountain were all spruces, growing along the slopes, tolerant of shade and cold, and green all year round.

In the cold winter nights, there was a sense of the wind sweeping through the forest, creating waves like the tide.

Dark clouds covered the moon, casting dim light over the forest, making the swaying trees look like ghostly shadows dancing in the wind.

“Say what you have to say right here.”

The man walking behind suddenly stopped, refusing to take another step forward.

The others in front stopped too, one of them lighting a cigarette.

A faint spark flared up in the dark forest, releasing a wisp of smoke that quickly dispersed in the wind. “Old Wu, are you really this loyal to the Xiao Family?”

The man called Old Wu replied, “The Xiao Family hasn’t wronged me in any way.”

“Bullshit! Remember when we retired? What did the Xiao Family promise? We’d always be working under them. Now you have a chance to be your own boss, so let me ask you—are you with us or not?”

“Old Qi,” Wu Yong sighed. “A man shouldn’t forget his roots.”

The man smoking sneered, “Wu Yong, you’re really useless. Look yourself in the eye—didn’t we all join the security team with dreams of making it big?”

Xiao Yan was a legend in the military, and Old Master Xiao was known for his loyalty and care toward his comrades. Many people went straight to work for him after retiring.

But ambition and desire are limitless. Some people aimed to become the next Xiao Yan.

“A soldier who doesn’t want to be a general is not a good soldier,” Wu Yong muttered. “Is this why you’re siding with the Leng Family? The two families—”

The other man scoffed. “When soldiers serve, they’re loyal to the country. After they retire, they’re loyal to themselves. In the business world, it’s survival of the fittest. Haven’t you figured that out after all these years?”

Wu Yong couldn’t argue with them, so he stiffly said, “Even after retiring, one must remain loyal to their conscience! Leng Haiyun’s dirty tricks—what kind of Alpha hero uses methods like that?”

Suddenly, he paused, frowning in confusion. “Could it be that something happened at Fu Hua Hotel…”

A biting wind howled past the group, sending dead leaves swirling into the pitch-black forest.

Wu Yong felt a chill run down his spine.

“No, I need to tell Second Young Master—”

He had just turned around when he felt a cold sensation at his waist.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Even the wind stopped. Wu Yong slowly turned his head, lowering his gaze.

A pitch-black dagger, its blade non-reflective, had sunken halfway into his body, the serrated edges biting deep.

It was a military knife, the kind they had kept as a memento after retiring, now lodged in his comrade’s body.

Old Qi flicked away his cigarette, and his shiny black leather military boots stomped on the last ember, extinguishing it. “I heard there are wolves in these mountains. Every year, someone gets attacked.”

Wu Yong clutched the knife with both hands, trying to stop him from pulling it out. His mouth opened, but no sound came out as his entire body trembled.

“Xiao Zong is a man blessed by the heavens, a dragon among men. Even if you disappeared for ten or fifteen days, he might not even notice. Don’t you think so?”

“Meowww~”

“Who’s there?!”

The bodyguards instantly became alert, several of them drawing their military knives in unison.

The only one in the villa who had a cat was…

“Oh dear,” came a soft, sweet voice with a southern accent. “Commander, don’t run off like that.”

Secretary Gu.

They breathed a sigh of relief but remained on edge.

Messing with Gu Yin wasn’t a good idea.

There were forty or fifty people rotating in the security team, and even if someone disappeared, Xiao Zong might not notice. But there was only one secretary, and the police could summon him at any time.

Old Qi gave a look, and Wu Yong was dragged deeper into the forest, a hand clamped over his mouth.

But after just a few steps, they saw Gu Yin standing among the spruce trees, watching them.

When had he gotten behind them?!

At the crucial moment, Wu Yong bit down on the hand covering his mouth. As the grip loosened, the knife was pulled out halfway, and blood gushed out like a fountain. Ignoring the pain, Wu Yong desperately shouted, “Secretary Gu, run!”

Gu Yin was wearing a loose black hoodie that made him look more like a student.

At first glance, he stood so tall and straight that he blended in with the spruce forest.

“I heard everything,” Gu Yin smiled. “Are you going to silence me?”

No one answered him. Only the cold, biting wind howled in the distance.

Gu Yin took a step forward, crushing the fallen leaves beneath his feet, stepping into the shadowy moonlight outside the trees.

“If not, then it’s my turn to make a move.”