Dizziness, noise, turbulence—like constantly shifting between different carriers, until finally everything settled into silence.

Tao Fengche had no idea where he was or what time it was. When he woke up from unconsciousness, his head throbbed as if trampled by a herd of horses. His throat was parched from the long absence of water, tinged with the taste of blood.

Faint, intermittent groans of pain reached his ears, muffled, like hearing through a veil of fog. Tao Fengche found the noise irritating and instinctively frowned, wishing for the person to stop making such a racket, but to no avail.

After a long while, he suddenly realized that the sound was coming from his own mouth.

Am I… not dreaming? Tao Fengche wondered in confusion.

The next second, the persistent pain in his neck finally pulled his consciousness fully back. A flood of disordered memories surged into his mind, overwhelming him with too much information at once. It took him a moment to understand his current situation.

—He had been taken, or rather, kidnapped by Zhao Jiayang from the school gate.

His body had been kept in the same position for too long, causing poor circulation. His limbs were stiff and numb, as if millions of insects were crawling beneath his skin, gnawing at his flesh. He gritted his teeth slightly, enduring the prickling sensation, and tried to move his hand just a little—but he couldn’t.

His wrists were bound by something cold and hard, most likely handcuffs. His body was fixed to an uncomfortable piece of hard furniture, likely a chair with a backrest.

Or at least, that’s what he guessed.

Despite everything, there was some good news—at least he still had all his limbs intact, no missing arms or legs. Most of his pain came from being forced to maintain the same position for a prolonged period, rather than from being beaten during unconsciousness or being turned into a mutilated human.

So… where exactly had Zhao Jiayang taken him?

Tao Fengche recalled that he had lost consciousness in the late afternoon. Now, the hunger in his stomach wasn’t unbearable yet, leading him to speculate that he hadn’t been out for too long. Even with his eyes closed, he could sense a glaring light through his eyelids.

… Was it sunlight?

But it didn’t quite seem like it.

His instincts made him shift his eyes slightly to relieve the discomfort, attempting to sneak a peek at his surroundings. However, he stopped himself abruptly—

A familiar voice sounded nearby, though it wasn’t very clear. Tao Fengche froze, maintaining his rigid posture, straining his ears for a while until he confirmed the source of the voice—Zhao Jiayang.

It seemed like he was on the phone with someone.

Tao Fengche held his breath, afraid to make any unnecessary noise. He focused all his attention, trying to catch snippets of the conversation. Fortunately, Zhao Jiayang didn’t seem aware that he had woken up. Though he wasn’t speaking loudly, by concentrating, Tao Fengche could still make out most of it.

Soon, he deduced that Zhao Jiayang was speaking with Sui Yuesheng. A wave of soft bitterness welled up in his heart, along with a surge of unshakable shame.

Zhao Jiayang was the mastermind behind the artificial pheromones, but up until now, Tao Fengche had been suspecting Sui Yuesheng instead, while being completely unguarded against Zhao Jiayang. Now, after being kidnapped by Zhao Jiayang, it was Sui Yuesheng who was going to save him.

…What a foolish mistake he had made, thinking he was being clever.

Tao Fengche felt deep regret.

He wasn’t surprised that Zhao Jiayang demanded the artificial pheromones as a bargaining chip, nor was he shocked that his own safety was being used as leverage—why else would he have been kidnapped? But when Tao Fengche heard Zhao Jiayang mention “beloved,” he was stunned as if struck by a heavy blow.

Sui Yuesheng’s beloved… was him?

What kind of joke was this?! That was absurd. How did Zhao Jiayang even come to that conclusion?!

Tao Fengche was certain Zhao Jiayang was talking nonsense. He wasn’t surprised when Sui Yuesheng denied it either, but what he hadn’t expected was for Zhao Jiayang to bring up the “photo frame.”

Though it wasn’t explicitly stated, Tao Fengche had a gut feeling that the photo frame Zhao Jiayang was referring to was the one Sui Yuesheng had on his bedside table, a wooden frame holding a picture of his grandmother. Tao Fengche had once picked it up out of curiosity, only for Sui Yuesheng to scold him sharply and quickly change the subject. After that, the frame disappeared and never reappeared…

In hindsight, Sui Yuesheng’s reaction that day had indeed been strange.

Zhao Jiayang sounded so sure, so could it be… that the contents hidden within the frame’s backing had something to do with him?

Perhaps, more boldly, could it be his own photo?

A rush of joy sprouted uncontrollably within Tao Fengche’s heart. Though he had no concrete evidence, the mere possibility that Sui Yuesheng might like him was enough to fill the young alpha with a deep sense of satisfaction.

The pain in his body and the hunger in his stomach seemed to momentarily fade away. Tao Fengche felt as though he were floating, like walking on a fluffy, sugary cloud that made him want to stretch out and roll around in contentment…

He unintentionally moved his fingers, feeling as if he had actually touched that soft, cotton-like sensation—

The chains binding his handcuffs clinked together with his movement, producing a crisp sound. Tao Fengche froze in place, feeling as though he had just triggered a countdown to a bomb.

Rationality returned to him along with the pain, his heart racing erratically as if riding a runaway roller coaster. Sweat stood on end beneath his school jacket, and he cursed himself for making such a careless move.

He prayed fervently, hoping Zhao Jiayang hadn’t noticed the sound and would continue chatting with Sui Yuesheng, giving the latter’s team time to trace his location and come rescue him—

But the gods did not answer his prayer.

Zhao Jiayang abruptly ended the call, and silence filled the room. In the next moment, another sound echoed in the space.

Clack, clack, clack.

It was the sound of leather shoes tapping against the floor, and it was drawing closer.

Tao Fengche’s sixth sense screamed in his mind as he shut his eyes tightly, striving to maintain an even breathing pattern, becoming like a breathing statue, hoping to cover up his earlier blunder.

But then he heard a low voice, calm in tone, but to Tao Fengche, it sounded like the whisper of the devil.

“You’re awake, aren’t you?”

The grim reaper had finally swung his scythe.

Now that he had been discovered, there was no point in pretending anymore. Tao Fengche opened his eyes groggily, acting as if he had just awoken, while in reality, he was quickly scanning his surroundings.

The fluorescent lights overhead emitted a blindingly harsh glow, illuminating the space as if it were daytime. The ceiling was lined with exposed, rusty pipes that seemed quite old. The walls were the same color as the cement floor, creating an oppressive, enclosed feeling.

The room was large, and the only piece of furniture was the chair he was bound to. There was nothing else—not even a window. It felt like a sealed box. By the door, two burly men with guns stood guard on either side. He couldn’t see further beyond them, but Tao Fengche guessed that there must be more space outside.

Where on earth was he…?

Simply waiting for Sui Yuesheng to come rescue him was unrealistic; he had to try to save himself.

Tao Fengche subtly retracted his probing gaze and nodded at Zhao Jiayang, then forced a smile.

“Uncle…”

Tao Fengche tried to strike up a conversation with Zhao Jiayang, but the latter merely glanced at him expressionlessly before heading out. When Zhao Jiayang reached the door, he paused, and Tao Fengche’s heart lit up with the hope that he might say something to him. But Zhao Jiayang just turned his head slightly and casually ordered his subordinate, “Get him something to eat.”

Zhao Jiayang’s figure quickly disappeared. Tao Fengche stared for a moment, then looked at the handcuffs on his wrists and the ropes tying him up. He smiled bitterly, the sound echoing in the empty room, giving it an eerie feel.

Alright, even though Zhao Jiayang didn’t want to talk to him, at least he wasn’t planning to starve him to death. Tao Fengche found a bit of solace in that thought.

A moment later, an Alpha walked in, holding a plastic meal box in one hand and a large bottle of mineral water in the other. He almost looked like he was bringing a home-cooked meal—if you ignored the Benelli M4 slung over his shoulder, his broad and muscular build, and his towering height, which was close to two meters.

The man silently placed the bottle of water next to Tao Fengche and opened the meal box. The top three layers contained dishes, and the bottom layer held rice with plastic utensils. The food looked simple, even basic, with the only advantage being that there was plenty of it.

Tao Fengche glanced over the man from head to toe, knowing full well that even at his peak, he wasn’t a match for this guy. Let alone now, with his hands cuffed and body tied to a chair. Realizing the futility of trying to escape, he turned his attention to the food.

“You eat first.” He resisted the burning sensation in his stomach, his voice hoarse.

Tao Fengche knew that Zhao Jiayang needed to keep him alive as a bargaining chip with Sui Yuesheng, so it was unlikely they’d tamper with the food. Plus, if they wanted to harm him, they could’ve done so while he was unconscious. Still, he couldn’t fully dismiss the possibility and couldn’t bring himself to eat without precautions.

After all, it was his momentary carelessness that had landed him in this situation, and once was more than enough.

The muscular man glanced at him, and Tao Fengche fearlessly met his gaze. After a brief standoff, the man picked up the chopsticks and tasted each dish, even opening the water bottle and taking a sip first.

Once he finished, he silently looked at Tao Fengche.

“There’s still the rice.”

The man complied again. Tao Fengche decided to test the waters, pushing his luck to see the man’s limits: “My hands are cuffed, I can’t eat.”

The man picked up the chopsticks as if he was about to say something, but Tao Fengche quickly added, “I don’t want you to feed me.”

The man narrowed his eyes dangerously, then reached behind him, touched the exposed barrel of his rifle, and swiftly ran two fingers over it in a clear threat.

Tao Fengche looked at him with calm defiance, exuding the spoiled arrogance of a young master who had been pampered his entire life.

He didn’t recognize this man’s face, but he was betting that the man didn’t know him well either, and that Zhao Jiayang’s orders left room for flexibility.

This time, he won the gamble.

Maybe it was because of Zhao Jiayang’s command, or perhaps because the man thought Tao Fengche didn’t pose much of a threat, but either way, the man unshackled Tao Fengche’s hands and even untied the ropes that bound him, seemingly to avoid further requests.

The feeling of finally being free was wonderful. Tao Fengche eagerly rubbed his wrists, gulped down half the bottle of water, and then took the chopsticks from the man, turning them around and wiping them on his clothes before shoveling the food into his mouth.

The heavy oil and salt made the food hard to stomach. Under normal circumstances, Tao Fengche wouldn’t have even glanced at such a meal, but this wasn’t the time to be picky. No one knew when or what he’d be able to eat next, so he forced himself to think that strong flavors helped the food go down better and finished every last bite.

He ate too much, and the greasy food felt unpleasantly lodged in his throat. Tao Fengche fought the urge to throw up, slowly sipped some water, and finally felt somewhat alive again.

Even though he was now untied and had a full belly, he knew he didn’t stand a chance against the muscular man in front of him, especially unarmed. Plus, there were armed guards outside. Even if he managed to take down this guy, he would never make it past the door.

The odds of overpowering the man and using his Benelli M4 to fight his way out were even slimmer. More likely, the man would pull out his gun mid-struggle, shoot his limbs to disable him, and tie him back to the chair under tighter security.

…That would be a disaster.

Tao Fengche ran through dozens of escape scenarios in his mind, only to reject them all. After a long pause, he tentatively asked, “Ge, thanks for bringing the food. Can I ask you something? What time is it?”

He didn’t expect a loyal subordinate like this to betray Zhao Jiayang after a few words, but he still wanted to gather as much information about his situation as possible.

Tao Fengche deliberately avoided asking about his location, choosing a more harmless question to slowly build rapport. But to his surprise, the man glanced at him, packed up the empty meal box, and then opened his mouth.

Inside, it was empty, just a blurred stump.

This man had no tongue!