Chapter 119: Starting Tomorrow, I’ll Be a Coldhearted Person

“No way!” Ji Laili refused without a second thought. “Absolutely not, it’s too dangerous, you—”

You’re still in your secondary differentiation phase!

Your pheromones are unstable, and you’ve injected the Omega conversion agent. Being that close to the researcher, even acting as a test subject…

If they find out, you’ll be in danger!

The rest of his words vanished in the depths of Shen Yu’s dark eyes—so calm, so unwavering. Ji Laili suddenly realized how composed Shen Yu was.

Perhaps he had already made up his mind.

“Only test subjects can enter the lab openly. Laili, risk and benefit are two sides of the same coin.”

“I’m going to take a gamble.”

A gamble that they wouldn’t discover he had injected the Omega conversion agent. A gamble that his secondary differentiation would find a turning point in this.

Ji Laili couldn’t bring himself to tell him not to go. Maybe his words could have made Shen Yu waver, could have made him give up this dangerous decision.

But this was what Shen Yu wanted. He was prepared for both success and failure.

In that case, his words couldn’t become an obstacle for him. If he couldn’t be the spear to strike their enemies, then at the very least, he had to be Shen Yu’s shield.

But still…

He was angry!

Ji Laili looked at him, then finally turned his head away, sulking. “Then I wish you good luck, Lance.”

The conversation ended there. Lei Po and the others tactfully left the room, leaving the space to the two of them. Even Eugene refrained from his usual sarcastic remarks.

Shen Yu hesitated for a moment before taking Ji Laili’s hand. Ji Laili didn’t pull away, which made Shen Yu’s heart settle a little.

When making the decision, he had been so firm, but now that it was done, he was feeling guilty.

As he searched for the right words, Ji Laili sighed. “You don’t need to explain. Shen Yu, I won’t stop you from doing what you want.”

“Then… are you still mad, Laili?”

“Of course I am!”

Ji Laili declared loudly, “So starting tomorrow, I’m going to be a coldhearted person!”

Shen Yu: “……”

If he laughed now, would Laili get even angrier?

Realizing he had already made one mistake, Senior Shen wisely held back his smile, trying his best not to let it show.

However, the next day, when Shen Yu, as usual, asked for a kiss, he was met with an icy response.

The curly-haired Alpha, normally so full of warmth, had a completely serious expression as he coldly rejected him. “Lord Lance, what are you doing? If someone sees us, it wouldn’t be appropriate.”

Shen Yu: “?”

He looked at his lover with confusion, not understanding what he was doing.

“Laili?”

Ji Laili spoke with a deadpan expression. “I am Ji Lai.”

Though this fake name was terribly unoriginal, right now, he was Ji Lai, not Ji Laili.

Ji Lai didn’t know Shen Yu.

And he certainly wasn’t familiar with Lance either.

So today, he was going to be an incredibly coldhearted person. Ji Laili flashed a grin, revealing two tiny sharp canines, proud and dazzling.

Shen Yu smiled faintly. “Alright, Lord Ji Lai.”

Foul play. His little butterfly had learned mischief!

Wasn’t this just stealing his own catchphrase?!

Ji Laili smirked. “Calling me ‘Lord’ won’t change anything. We’re not close.”

Was that really true?

Shen Yu caught sight of the red tips of Ji Laili’s ears, hidden within his curly hair.

Ji Laili maintained his composure as he walked out the door. Coldhearted. Coldhearted. Coldhearted. I must remember that!

As he passed by Laurie, who was yawning and looking exhausted from overwork, Ji Laili immediately waved at him with a bright, enthusiastic smile.

“Brother Laurie! I’m here to report in! Is there anything I can help with?”

He eagerly sidled up next to him, smiling so radiantly that it was impossible to refuse.

“Then you… huh?” Laurie started speaking but suddenly became wary, glancing around.

Then he found himself face to face with Lance’s death glare.

Laurie: “?”

Had he offended this guy somehow?

Well, whatever. Laurie instantly dismissed the concern and brought Ji Laili along to familiarize him with his tasks. Though, to be honest, most of it was just having him help out here and there.

Laurie did wonder if it was even necessary. Wouldn’t it be easier to just throw this kid into the security squad? But every time that thought crossed his mind, a wave of flattery would follow.

“Brother Laurie, you work way too hard! Next time, leave the patrols to me. You should sleep in a little!”

“Eh? There’s even a procurement process? You have to do all this too? That’s outrageous! They’re totally overworking you!”

“Brother, is there anywhere I’m not allowed to go? I don’t want to accidentally step into a restricted area.”

By midday, Ji Laili had gathered tons of intel and had even secured patrolling and procurement rights.

Everything had gone too smoothly—so smoothly that Ji Laili almost found it suspicious.

He nearly started doubting whether Laurie had seen through his act and was playing along.

To test him, Ji Laili casually asked, “Brother, will Lord Garna be mad if we do this?”

He kept an eye on Laurie’s reaction.

Laurie froze for a second, then his eyes widened in horror. His dark circles even seemed to deepen.

Laurie’s reaction was extreme. “You want to back out?!”

“I knew it! You Federation Alphas always talk big—’Oh, it’s so hard on you, brother!’ But the moment you actually have to do work, you back out!”

“All talk, no action! I’ve worked twelve-hour shifts and have I complained?!”

The thought of working nonstop while someone else slacked off made Laurie uncomfortable.

He had considered whether it was fair to dump work on a new Alpha, and he knew Lord Garna might not approve. But Ji Laili backing out? Unforgivable!

Laurie could no longer tolerate it. In fact, he felt like he hadn’t given Ji Laili enough work!

“I’ll deal with Lord Garna. You just do your job!”

His tone was firm, and his dark-ringed eyes locked onto Ji Laili, as if daring him to say no.

Ji Laili: “…Yes, brother.”

Confirmed. The Empire was doomed.

Great. We’re saved.

While Ji Laili worked hard, Lei Po and the others weren’t idle either. As they had predicted yesterday, they were assigned to the security squad. Their squad leader treated them with extreme coldness, throwing them into the group without a single instruction.

Eugene barely restrained his temper, stopping himself from lashing out.

Meanwhile, Zhai Yifei struck up a conversation with one of the squad members and quickly picked up on something.

“You’re all from the Federation?”

The Alpha he was speaking to lazily responded, “Yeah, this whole squad is Federation-born.”

“You guys are new, huh? Don’t worry, work here is easy. The Empire folks won’t assign us to any important areas. We just patrol the bathrooms, and that’s it.”

He said this casually, but immediately noticed that the three newcomers did not look pleased.

One of them looked like he was ready to tear him apart on the spot. The Alpha shrank back, suddenly too scared to ask why.

Lei Po clenched his fists, his unruly bangs shadowing his furious expression.

Suddenly, a hand grasped his.

Slowly prying open his clenched fingers, Lei Po looked up and saw Zhai Yifei’s calm profile.

“You’ll get your chance.”

“For now, stay calm.”

Lei Po released his grip, momentarily fumbling before realizing there were no pockets on the security uniform. He settled for crossing his arms, raising a brow.

“As if I need you to tell me that.”

These traitors to the Federation—he would personally beat them down.

“And I’ll be right there with you,” Eugene added.

Lei Po turned to him. The Alpha’s brow carried the weight of his pride.

“Count me in.”