Chapter 20: Found You

Omega pheromones?

Zhai Yifei immediately scoffed. “Are you still stuck in a hallucination, thinking about an Omega even now?”

Lei Po frowned. “Believe it or not, I really smelled it!”

“There’s no way there’s an Omega in the Federal Military Academy, Lei Po. Stop embarrassing yourself.”

Zhai Yifei was in a bad mood, and his tone was particularly sharp.

This only ignited Lei Po’s competitive spirit—he had to prove he wasn’t imagining things.

“You don’t believe me? Fine! I’ll prove it!”

Lei Po furrowed his brows and strode purposefully in a certain direction.

“Wait!” Ji Laili hurriedly stopped him. “Po-ge, where are you going?”

“I caught the scent from over there. I’m going back to check it out. Laili, you go ahead without me.” As he spoke, Lei Po moved to step past him.

That way led to the far end of the sealed rooms.

In a flash, Ji Laili’s mind caught up—

In the original storyline, these two accidentally discovered that Shen Yu’s pheromones were unusual. That discovery ultimately led to their emotions warping and their downfall.

Was today the day?

Then the pheromones Lei Po smelled just now must be—

Sweat beaded on Ji Laili’s forehead as he tightened his grip on Lei Po’s hand.

He absolutely couldn’t let him go over there.

“Laili, let go. I know I didn’t smell wrong!”

Lei Po looked determined, his expression saying “My nose is never wrong.”

Ji Laili felt an urge to mock him. Do you think you’re some kind of bloodhound?!

Before he could sort out Lei Po, another headache arose—Zhai Yifei decided to step in.

“In that case, let’s all go together.”

“I’d love to see just how good the ‘number one’s’ sense of smell really is.” Zhai Yifei’s tone dripped with arrogance.

Never underestimate how much second place wants to beat first place—it could be deadly.

If you go now, you’re walking straight into disaster. Do you understand?

Ji Laili was no longer sure if he was here to save Shen Yu or to save these two idiots from their own stupidity.

Taking a deep breath, he quickly made a decision. “Actually, I smelled the pheromones too.”

Lei Po’s eyes lit up. “See?! I knew I wasn’t the only one who caught it!”

“Zhai Yifei, did you hear that?” Lei Po gloated. “Number one is number one. Laili was first place last time too. How come we both smelled it, but you didn’t?”

“A loser’s nose just isn’t as good.”

Bullshit! You’re the only one with a dog nose!

Ji Laili hadn’t smelled anything at all.

Zhai Yifei’s expression darkened, clearly pissed off. “You’d better shut up.”

“What? You gonna bite me?”

Lei Po smirked, hands in his pockets, and provocatively tilted his chin. “Go ahead, come at me. I’m right here—do you dare?”

Oh my god.

This idiot is begging for a beating.

Fearing Zhai Yifei would actually snap, Ji Laili quickly spoke up, speeding through his words. “I did smell it, but the direction was different.”

“Po-ge, could you have gotten turned around? We just passed through the sealed rooms. If the scent was that strong, you should’ve smelled it earlier, not just now.”

Lei Po was about to argue, but then hesitated.

Ji Laili continued, “There’s also another possibility. Maybe the pheromones weren’t properly cleaned up, and that’s why you picked up a trace. After all, there’s no way an Omega would actually be here.”

Lei Po mulled it over and, after hearing Ji Laili’s explanation, began to accept it. “That… actually makes some sense.”

“It makes a lot of sense.” Ji Laili smiled, though his back was covered in cold sweat. “How about this—Po-ge, let’s split up and check different areas?”

That finally killed Lei Po’s enthusiasm. He waved a hand dismissively. “Forget it. You’re probably right.”

Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes. “Wait, Zhai Yifei—you did that on purpose, didn’t you? Trying to bait me into going over there just so you could laugh at me?”

Having been caught, Zhai Yifei didn’t even bother denying it. “And what if I did?”

But Ji Laili no longer had the time to care about their squabble. He quickly came up with an excuse to leave, slipped out of their line of sight, and rushed back to the sealed rooms.

Was it just his imagination?

Or had he really just smelled pheromones?

But when he tried to focus on the scent, it felt as though it had vanished like a fleeting illusion.

Ji Laili’s expression grew serious.

He needed to find Shen Yu. Fast.

The Pain of Transformation

The back of his neck burned with pain, as if that small patch of skin were being torn apart.

Shen Yu was drenched in cold sweat, his exhausted body slumped against the wall of the sealed room. He tilted his head, pressing his cheek to the frigid metal surface, seeking even the faintest relief.

But it was still unbearably hot. His entire body ached.

His fingertips instinctively dug into the narrow seams of the silver metal plating, leaving faint scratch marks behind.

It was only now, belatedly, that he realized—his heat cycle was coming.

Too soon.

Shen Yu vividly remembered that, in his past life, his first heat had struck only after he had fully transformed into an Omega.

It had come without warning, giving him no chance to hide it.

Under countless gazes, he had become nothing more than prey in the eyes of the frenzied Alphas.

Now, leaning against the cold wall, his heightened senses picked up the feral roars from the next room—so close, he could hear the sound of something slamming violently against the barrier.

Even knowing they couldn’t break through, a wave of nausea still rose in him.

Dragging his exhausted, trembling body, he inched away, but even such a small movement drained him.

This premature heat was consuming him like a wildfire.

Every second was agony, and worse still, the sound of chaotic, hurried footsteps echoed from outside.

Rushed. Anxious.

There were only Alphas here. And now, one of them was looking for him.

His body shuddered. Desire surged in waves, and the genetic shift inside him twisted into excruciating pain.

But his mind remained unnervingly clear.

With chilling clarity, he watched himself walk down the same path as before.

So what if he had been given a second chance?

Nothing had changed.

Then he would just walk the same road again.

Long fingers slipped beneath the sweat-drenched black-and-gold military uniform, hooking around the handle of a quantum gun.

His dark hair was in disarray, his lips a deep, vivid red. The presence that had once been cold, powerful, and unshakable now appeared pale and fragile, his sweat-dampened skin shimmering under the light—so breathtaking it was almost unreal.

At a glance, his weakened posture could be deceiving.

But when the door finally slid open, his fingers tightened around the gun’s grip. The black barrel of the weapon pointed directly at the Alpha who stepped inside.

His deep, icy black eyes, framed by long lashes, carried a cold and eerie sharpness.

The thick, suffocating killing intent pouring from him made it impossible to ignore the deadly danger he posed.

Weak—yet perilous.

The sheer contrast was enough to send chills down anyone’s spine.

Then, in the next instant—

The door opened.

Shen Yu’s gaze was merciless, his finger tightening on the trigger—until he saw who it was.

His hand froze.

“Haa… haa…”

Messy chestnut curls, a disheveled uniform, an out-of-breath figure bracing himself against the doorframe.

And a dazzling, radiant smile.

“Found you, Shen Yu.”

Clatter—

The quantum gun fell to the ground, forgotten.

Its owner didn’t spare it another glance.

His fingertips trembled, his heart skipping a beat.

Shen Yu himself didn’t even realize it yet—

Somewhere deep inside, he had already decided that this Alpha… would never hurt him.

And at the moment he needed his weapon most—

He let it go.

His lips parted slightly, his voice hoarse, his dark eyes holding a fragile glimmer.

“…Ji Laili?”