Chapter 80: A Stolen Kiss!

Strictly speaking, things had been off ever since he started executing his plan.

Ji Laili sipped on his nutrient drink, his expression turning serious. “Something is definitely not right.”

Lei Po snatched the drink from his mouth, stealing the little puppy’s food, and lifted his chin. “Hurry up and spill.”

Ji Laili, now deprived of his drink: “…”

Po-ge is really impatient.

Ji Laili sobered up, his voice lowering. “Here’s the thing—I suspect there’s a thief in the Federal Military Academy!”

Lei Po: “Hah?”

Zhai Yifei: “…A thief?”

“Exactly!” Ji Laili declared righteously. “Someone stole my clothes!”

Lei Po: “Hah??”

Zhai Yifei: “…Are you sure?”

“Of course!” Ji Laili sighed. “It’s strange, but my things really have gone missing.”

“Maybe you just misplaced them somewhere,” Zhai Yifei suggested.

“This venomous husband has a point. You think there’s a thief in the academy?”

Lei Po snorted. “That’s ridiculous.”

Ji Laili shook his head. “At first, I thought I had just lost them too. But when I really thought about it, that didn’t seem right—because Shen Yu does the cleaning.”

Lei Po: “Hah???”

Zhai Yifei’s face remained expressionless. This dumb A should really stop making dumb noises.

Ji Laili spoke with a hint of pride, his lips curling up. “Bet you didn’t expect that, huh? He’s got full marks in housekeeping! He takes care of everything. Even when I offer to help, Senior Shen always refuses.”

The perfect roommate. Simply amazing.

Ji Laili basked in the thought for a moment before regaining focus.

“He wouldn’t lose anything, so we can rule out that possibility.”

Compared to Ji Laili’s habit of casually stuffing things into his locker with zero organization, Shen Yu was far more reliable.

Lei Po raised a brow, joking, “What if it was Shen Yu who stole them?”

He chuckled at his own joke, only to be met with deadpan stares from the other two. Stretching lazily, he stood up and cracked his neck, the sound echoing.

With a lazy drawl, the Alpha said, “Laili, you’re overthinking it. There’s no way there’s a thief here.”

“If there was, I’d rather they steal some Alpha’s underwear.”

“Stop worrying about it. Just drink your damn nutrient drink.”

He tossed the half-finished drink back to Ji Laili, who caught it and immediately took a sip, his tail practically wagging.

Turning to Zhai Yifei, he asked expectantly, “Zhai-ge, do you believe me?”

Zhai Yifei gave him a small smile. “Sure. Now finish your drink and go to bed early.”

Ji Laili’s face fell. He turned away, leaving Zhai Yifei to stare at the back of his head, his eyes narrowed in frustration as he grumbled while sipping his drink.

Come on, that was way too perfunctory—treating him like a child to pacify.

Officer Ji felt unbalanced. Now, he really wanted to find proof.

But before he could even start investigating, the evidence practically threw itself in front of him.

His water cup was gone.

His instincts as a criminal investigator kicked in immediately. Ji Laili frowned and searched the entire dorm.

No signs of forced entry.

That meant the culprit was cautious—meticulous even.

Losing just one piece of clothing wasn’t a big deal, but…

Hell no! That was his favorite piece!

Suppressing his irritation, Ji Laili analyzed the situation seriously. Stealing clothes was one thing, but what was the point of taking a water cup?

It was just a regular cup. He’d only used it a few times at most…

Wait.

His thoughts shifted to the Imperial infiltrators from before.

Could it be that the real thief was actually an Imperial agent hiding here?

Shen Yu had been injected with that strange drug. In his past life, he had differentiated into an Omega, but in this life, he hadn’t. Wouldn’t the Empire have doubts about that?

Things that hadn’t connected before suddenly became clear.

The injection Zhai-ge got was empty, which was why his gland was only mildly stimulated and he recovered after leaving the virtual training ground.

To be cautious, the Federal Military Academy had taken blood samples from all the new students. So what were they trying to extract?

Once outside the virtual training field, wouldn’t they have real-world data to analyze?

Ji Laili considered it. The exam incident might not have been targeting Shen Yu specifically, but it was definitely connected to the Empire.

What if someone was secretly trying to steal Shen Yu’s belongings to take back for research?

And because Ji Laili happened to be with him all the time, they… stole the wrong thing?

“The more I think about it, the more sense it makes.”

“What are you thinking about?”

It was Shen Yu’s voice. Ji Laili turned to see him carrying a box.

Noticing his gaze, Shen Yu casually opened it—revealing a dozen bags of different flavored chips. He opened one and said, “Open your mouth.”

Ji Laili obediently took a bite, accepting Shen Yu’s offering.

“Mm… I was thinking about what the instructor said during training.”

“Oh yeah, Senior, have you seen my water cup?”

“What cup?” Shen Yu’s voice was calm as he handed Ji Laili a napkin. “Something wrong?”

“No, I just can’t find it. I wanted to use it for water.”

Ji Laili flashed a smile, casually making up an excuse. But when he turned his back to Shen Yu, his smile dropped.

Shen Yu really didn’t know.

In that case, it was better not to mention it yet. Rather than making him worry, he should gather more evidence first.

As he pondered, a cup appeared in front of him.

“Eh?”

Ji Laili blankly took it.

Shen Yu pressed his lips together. “It’s mine. Use this.”

Cough. He had only made up an excuse, but… how could he refuse such kindness from the little butterfly?

Ji Laili happily accepted. “Alright!”

The next day, he brought Shen Yu’s cup to the training ground.

So, a bunch of Alphas ended up witnessing something unbelievable—

Ji Laili, who usually ran around the training grounds like a wild pup, was actually sitting in a corner, quietly drinking water.

They were relieved.

Finally. Even Ji Laili was exhausted. That meant they weren’t completely useless.

But Ji Laili wasn’t thinking about that.

Because he realized—his stuff had gone missing again!

This time, it was his toothbrush.

Ji Laili felt something was off the moment he held it in his hand.

He had a bad habit of biting things, and the toothbrush head used to have two small bite marks.

But now, this one… had no marks at all. It looked brand new.

Ji Laili felt stifled.

How on earth was the other party sneaking in and stealing his things?

His clothes had gone missing.

His used toothbrush and water cup had disappeared without a trace.

And all this happened without disturbing him or Shen Yu at all—had the Empire’s people evolved to this level already?

But there was no news about any unusual movements from the captured Imperial spy.

Ji Laili couldn’t figure it out. Then, suddenly, inspiration struck—he decided to go on the offensive and lure the thief out!

That very day, he ordered a large pile of miscellaneous items and brought them back to the dormitory.

Shen Yu saw the pile and a flicker of doubt passed through his eyes. “If you liked these things, why didn’t you tell me?”

Ji Laili had already thought of an excuse. He curled his lips into a grin. “It’s not that. A little omega I like bought them for me.”

As he spoke, his eyes lifted playfully. Now, whoever the thief was, once they stole from this pile, he’d have solid evidence to catch them!

“I see… no wonder you look so happy.”

Ji Laili, in a good mood, didn’t notice the dark depths of Shen Yu’s gaze. “Just so-so, really.”

He was convinced the thief would strike again that very night.

To catch them in the act, Ji Laili kept glancing back at the pile of items.

In Shen Yu’s eyes, this behavior looked like an Alpha obsessively watching over the gifts from his beloved omega.

A gift from his special someone…

And it made him this happy?

A cold and damp look flashed in Shen Yu’s eyes as he shot an icy glance at that pile of things.

—

The downside of being too focused was that his eyes started to ache, and he grew sleepier and sleepier.

Ji Laili had stared at the pile for half the night before finally giving up on the idea that the thief would strike today.

It was already this late—any later would be downright inhuman…

He tilted his head and looked at the bed to his left. The flickering light and shadow outlined a figure—it was Shen Yu.

Yesterday, the dorm manager had moved the beds closer.

Now, as Ji Laili lay on his own bed, he suddenly felt a bit… unused to this distance.

Before, he could always turn his head and see Shen Yu’s face.

…And it had only been a few days.

His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and before long, darkness took over.

The room remained silent in the pitch-black night. After a long while, someone stepped out of bed.

In the dim light, something moved toward the bedside. A cold, sweet scent of iris slowly spread, lingering in the air.

The young man standing in the shadows lifted his gaze.

His features were indifferent, his pitch-black eyes nearly blending into the darkness.

His gaze traced every inch of the sleeping Alpha’s face.

Seeing him wrinkle his nose uncomfortably and furrow his thick brows, as if disturbed…

Shen Yu thought coldly—

He doesn’t like my scent.

Smelling it makes him uncomfortable.

But that omega’s scent—does he like that?

That day, he shouldn’t have thrown away that backpack.

He shouldn’t have hesitated.

He was supposed to make Ji Laili belong to him forever.

So why did he change his mind?

Just like now, seeing that frown of discomfort on his face, that hint of unease in his expression…

The thick scent in the air gradually faded in the next moment, leaving only a faint wisp coiling around the Alpha.

It was truly frustrating.

Shen Yu leaned down, staring at him coldly.

The shadows covered him like butterfly wings, surrounding him completely.

His breath carried the faint fragrance of irises, but the Alpha slept on, completely unaware.

This only made Shen Yu feel even more irritated, more unwilling to accept it.

His lips pressed into a tight line as his fingertips reached out, gently brushing against those soft chestnut curls.

His expression was as cold as frost.

His fingers twisted a lock of hair and gave it a light tug.

“Why do you like someone else?”

“Is he stronger than me?”

“Or is he more…”

Eyelashes trembled, ears flushed red. Shen Yu cast a cold glance at him, fingers tightening, lips parting slightly—pressing together, then loosening, then pressing together again.

His innate pride made him too ashamed to say that word.

Yet the physiological reaction of the Alpha he rejected and despised gave Shen Yu a deep sense of absurdity in this situation.

He must be insane.

To even consider speaking to an Alpha like that.

He should have continued to detest all Alphas, keeping his distance, watching from the sidelines with cold indifference—rather than stepping out of the darkness under his gaze, stopping at someone’s side.

His fingers clenched abruptly, chestnut curls brushing against his fingertips. Looking down, Shen Yu saw a strand of hair caught between them.

For a fleeting moment, a hint of uncertainty flickered through his dark eyes. Pressing his lips together, his gaze slowly crawled up to Ji Laili’s face.

In the night, the Alpha’s features were indistinct, his outline blurred.

But Shen Yu had watched this Alpha for a long time—long enough to know everything about him.

Even without a clear view, he could imagine how Ji Laili would frown in irritation, bothered by the disturbance to his sleep. But as long as nothing else happened, his furrowed brows would soon relax again.

Unacceptable.

The mere thought that, one day, someone else would see Ji Laili like this…

A dark, twisted jealousy burned within his chest.

It consumed his reason. Shen Yu lowered his head and bit down coldly on the Alpha’s lower lip, as if venting his frustration—or perhaps indulging in some unspoken, shadowy desire.

If he left a mark, would that Omega see it?

But the soft sensation under his teeth froze the coldness in Shen Yu’s eyes.

In the shifting night shadows, the rigid figure inside the room remained still for a long time.

After a while, a clumsy fool hesitantly retracted his teeth and pressed his lips—awkwardly, nervously, yet obediently—against Ji Laili’s.

Soft…

—

Ji Laili felt like he had never had a worse sleep.

His breathing became increasingly unsteady, that cold, sweet scent lingering around his nose, impossible to dispel—though, oddly, it didn’t make him feel particularly uncomfortable either.

Exhaustion drained all his strength.

In the haze of sleep, something cool and soft brushed against his lips. Instinctively, Ji Laili’s tongue flicked out to lick it.

The cool sensation vanished.

Later that night, he had a chaotic dream.

Someone was stealing his things. He woke up in shock, and they fought fiercely. Ji Laili put up a tough struggle before finally pinning the intruder down.

Gripping the Alpha’s shoulders, he smirked. “Got you. Stop running. I won’t let you escape from me again.”

“Oh?”

The Alpha beneath him spoke coolly.

So arrogant—did he really think he could still get away?

Ji Laili snorted, twisting the Alpha’s shoulder to get a better look at the audacious Imperial.

And then—

His self-righteous expression shattered.

“Shen Yu?!”

The scene shifted.

The restrained Shen Yu disappeared, replaced by a pitch-black underground chamber. Severed limbs were strewn carelessly on the floor.

And a completely blackened Shen Yu, having slaughtered an Omega, was now staring at him coldly.

Ji Laili wanted to speak, but no sound came out.

Amidst the haziness, he caught a whiff of that cold, sweet iris scent, and his head spun.

His last memory before waking was of Shen Yu’s incomprehensible question.

A question—but spoken so softly—

“Am I not good enough?”

“Or is he… better than me?”

“Then I’ll kill him. Like me instead, okay?”

—

Dawn broke through the darkness, and the dream ended.

Ji Laili sat on his bed, dazed.

He got out of bed, dazed.

He went to wash up, dazed.

With the toothbrush in his mouth, a faint sting spread across his lips. “Tsk…” Ji Laili spat out the toothpaste and leaned closer to the mirror.

That’s when he noticed—his lip was slightly chafed. Not a big wound, just the kind caused by too much friction.

Ji Laili glanced at it briefly before dismissing it.

Such a minor injury wasn’t worth his attention.

The dark circles under his eyes in the mirror were much more concerning. Ji Laili ruffled his hair in frustration, sending his curls into an untamed mess.

“What a ridiculous dream,” he muttered under his breath.

“…Like that would ever happen.”