The next morning, Xiao Zong woke up first.

Last night, the floor-to-ceiling windows weren’t completely closed, and the cool air was mixed with the scents of spruce resin and locust flowers, carrying a faint hint of honey and milk. There was also a slight trace of something sweet and metallic in the air.

The curtains weren’t drawn either, and the morning light streamed in, falling on the two people who were sleeping together in an embrace.

Xiao Zong had a deep sleep that night. Upon waking, his first reaction was to check on the person in his arms.

Gu Yin was curled up in the soft, fluffy, and warm blanket. Against the snow-white bed sheets, his skin looked as if it had been kissed by sunlight. His lips were a vivid red, like a young flower bud about to bloom, bursting with a sweet redness.

After a night’s sleep, the bathrobe had slipped down to his waist, and at this angle, Xiao Zong could clearly see the smooth, defined muscle lines on Gu Yin’s back.

Gu Yin must enjoy outdoor activities since his athletic abilities were quite good. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had the strength to smash the control panel last time.

After an omega differentiates, the o-class pheromones cause some changes in the body. For example, their figure becomes more slender, muscle density decreases, and their overall demeanor tends to soften. Meanwhile, alphas grow taller suddenly, have a natural advantage in muscle training, and can control their pheromone release more easily. Their increased passion and endurance make them suitable leaders, although they tend to have a weaker sense of obedience—like even Wei Mian, who occasionally argues with his boss.

Betas, who make up 80% of the interstellar population, are the most common gender. Xiao Zong used to think that they weren’t particularly notable. Henghua’s workforce has the most betas, but very few stand out. The middle and upper management levels are still dominated by alphas.

So when Xiao Zong heard that the military had certain special units that only recruited betas, he was a little surprised. Thinking about it made sense, though—betas aren’t affected by pheromones, which is already quite special.

Only a tiny percentage of betas, about 0.1%, can be triggered into a false heat by high-concentration alpha pheromones. But with public pheromone filtration systems in place, this possibility is almost negligible.

Gu Yin’s back had a beautiful waistline—lean but not weak. Xiao Zong’s gaze slowly moved upwards, stopping at the gland at the nape of Gu Yin’s neck. There were still a few bite marks there, along with some dried blood where the skin had broken.

The gland lay just under a thin layer of skin, soft and fragile, giving off the scent of locust flower honey and milk.

The process of pheromone bonding is more like a form of taming. When o-class pheromones are invaded, they initially resist, but a-class pheromones are more dominant and forceful. Only when the o-class pheromones fully submit is the marking process considered complete.

This process doesn’t take a short time, and it’s somewhat painful for the omega. Temporary markings take a few minutes, but a full marking requires over half an hour.

Gu Yin, being marked for the first time, had mentally prepared himself in advance, but it still hurt enough that he flinched. Yet, he didn’t shy away. When the pheromones were injected into his neck, the pain made him break out in a cold sweat, and soon after, his body became limp and exhausted.

Xiao Zong held him close, gently wiping the sweat off his forehead. “Uncomfortable?”

Gu Yin replied, “A bit dizzy.”

Xiao Zong looked at him and smiled, suddenly remembering Commander.

Second Young Master raising a cat himself? No way he wouldn’t spoil it. And while Commander didn’t always obey, Xiao Zong still had his ways. The house had plenty of catnip prepared, and every time Commander meowed “no, no, no,” his body was quite honest.

After sobering up, Commander would often “complain” to him for long periods, and for a while afterward, he would avoid Xiao Zong. But once the catnip was brought out, Commander would melt into a limp pile, powerless to resist being hugged and petted.

At this moment, the little secretary resembled that cat—wide-eyed but weak, lying there murmuring, “I feel so dizzy.”

Xiao Zong couldn’t help but laugh.

Fortunately, once Gu Yin became woozy, he stopped thinking about seducing anyone. Xiao Zong took a cold shower to calm down, then came back to hold him and sleep through the night.

The chance of conception during full marking in a heat cycle is as high as 98%. Gu Yin still had to return to school, and Xiao Zong had matters to attend to within the Federation, so now wasn’t the time to think about this.

Still, Xiao Zong was getting impatient. As soon as they got engaged, he planned to devour him, just so no one at school would get any ideas about his guy.

Engagement… does that mean it’s time to start preparing a ring?

Xiao Zong took Gu Yin’s hand, intertwining their fingers. Gu Yin’s fingers were lean and strong, with a thin layer of calluses on his fingertips—something you wouldn’t notice until you touched them, feeling the slight roughness.

As he lightly rubbed Gu Yin’s calluses, Gu Yin instantly woke up.

“I overslept…”

Little Gu Yin struggled to sit up but was immediately pushed back down by Xiao Zong.

“It’s only six.”

“I need to feed the cat…”

“The servants are taking care of it, no need to worry.”

Xiao Zong sat halfway up in bed, his model-like figure exposed to the cool morning air. Gu Yin moved closer to him. The back of his neck still ached slightly, but the discomfort from the heat cycle had faded.

Gu Xiao Yin had thoroughly enjoyed Second Young Master’s body last night.

Even while applying the bio-healing patch, he had taken a little advantage—although this time it was out in the open, unlike the sneaky touches before!

As expected, his skin was so delicate and smooth… Ah, he was full.

Xiao Zong glanced at him. “Your drool’s about to fall.”

Gu Yin quickly wiped at his mouth, only to realize he’d been teased, his eyes widening in shock.

Xiao Zong chuckled.

This laugh wasn’t like the mature, business-like smile Gu Yin had seen before. It was playful, boyish, the kind of look Gu Yin had only seen in photos of Xiao Zong teasing his cat.

Back in school, Xiao Zong must’ve been quite popular, right?

A tall and lean alpha, still not fully grown into his sharp features, cold but gentle, with a scholarly air, walking through campus with a backpack.

No wonder Ye Yumeng couldn’t forget him after all these years.

The thought of someone else occupying Xiao Zong’s youthful years made Gu Yin feel a bit jealous.

No, Gu Xiao Yin. You can’t be too greedy.

Xiao Zong is great now. He still needs protection.

After the heat cycle and temporary marking, the restless feeling Gu Yin couldn’t control had finally calmed down. He now looked like his usual cold, abstinent, quiet little secretary.

But now, Xiao Zong was the one who couldn’t stay calm.

Omegas have a natural submissiveness and dependence on the alpha who marked them. When Gu Yin looked at him with those expectant eyes, Xiao Zong felt a surge of heat rise within him.

He had to change the topic. “Do you want to practice shooting?”

Gu Yin jumped, nearly bouncing out of bed.

Before he could react, Xiao Zong continued, “You’ll be taking over the Security Department. You need to familiarize yourself with these basics, or you won’t be able to connect with your subordinates.”

Combat training takes time, but at the very least, you need to understand firearms and ammunition.

“The Security Department is full of retired military alphas from various districts. To make them listen to you, you’ll have to find your own way.” Xiao Zong paused before adding, “I won’t step in to help.”

Honestly, Xiao Zong regretted promising him this back on the plane. He hoped Gu Yin would give up after realizing how tough it was.

Isn’t staying home with the cat more enjoyable? If he gets bored, the Second Young Master can always find something else for him to do—like bringing in a husky and creating a daily cat-dog chaos at home. That should keep him busy enough without thinking about all these dangerous things.

The entire Federation practices gun control, so Gu Yin had no idea Xiao Zong’s private bodyguards could apply for gun permits.

Thinking back to that day in the spruce forest, when Second Young Master strolled out so nonchalantly, Gu Yin thought his guard was too low.

—If I wasn’t there, and if those people had guns, what would Xiao Zong have done?

Gu Yin firmly said, “I want to learn.”

“But…” He then weakly asked, “Who will teach me?”

Who could teach him?

Xiao Zong glanced at him and replied, “I will.”

**

[Beep—Identity authentication successful.]

After the cold mechanical voice finished, Xiao Zong’s personal information appeared on the screen. The ID photo on the white background looked quite young, probably only 21 or 22 years old.

This was the Federal Firearm License photo.

The firearm license, commonly known as a “gun permit,” is divided into different levels. From the photo, you can easily distinguish the categories: blue background for semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, red background for handguns and pocket pistols, while the white background is for professional licenses, usually taken by police or military students.

“For beginners, the basics are stance, grip, aiming, and as you progress, you’ll learn to control your breathing and hit moving targets. You need to develop a habit of regional aiming.”

Xiao Zong led Gu Yin through the second security gate, a fully monitored metal corridor that analyzed walking patterns to verify identity.

“In real combat, you don’t have to worry. Even if you wanted to practice, I wouldn’t allow it.”

The lights in the shooting range lit up one by one, revealing a facility equipped with fixed targets, moving targets, and simulated combat training.

“…………”

Since entering the training ground with Xiao Zong, Gu Yin’s face had been blank.

Who am I?

Where am I?

Why am I listening to the boss explain the five shooting fundamentals?

“Old…” Gu Yin started to say.

Xiao Zong, hearing just the first syllable, immediately perked up, turning to look at him.

Under Xiao Zong’s gaze, Gu Yin quickly corrected himself. “…Husband.”

Seeing how awkward he looked, Xiao Zong found it amusing. “If you’re not used to it, you don’t have to change it right away. What did you call me last night?”

Gu Yin blushed and quietly replied, “Zong Ge.”

Although he was from Lin City, his accent leaned towards the south, making his “ge” sound soft and sweet, like he was asking for trouble.

Xiao Zong was satisfied.

He turned and activated the shooting range’s smart training system.

The shooting records were displayed in the bottom right corner, with a leaderboard visible without even opening it. Gu Yin saw that Xiao Jingchuan was ranked first, and Zhou Hengqing’s record was also there.

Xiao Zong glanced at it casually and scoffed, “Two years away, and Xiao Jingchuan has overtaken me.”

Gu Yin: ……

He’s the commander of the Northwest Army. Isn’t that normal?!

Xiao Zong was extremely familiar with the firearms used by the Federation’s current military. The Xiao Family’s entire training ground was like an armory, filled with all kinds of weapon models.

Gu Yin had always thought Xiao Zong was just a serious businessman, weak, helpless, and pitiful. Now, he was so shocked that he accidentally loaded a bullet model backward.

Second Young Master’s pheromone scent smelled like scholarly wood, but in reality, his pheromones were incredibly dominant—an inheritance from the Xiao Family. After the temporary marking, Gu Yin carried Xiao Zong’s scent, ensuring no one else dared to covet him. This gave Xiao Zong’s alpha ego a serious boost.

Xiao Zong hugged his little secretary from behind, taking in the scent at the nape of his neck. “What are you thinking about? Don’t like this?”

Of course not..

Gu Yin lowered his head and quietly asked, “When did you start learning all this?”

“Around five or six years old,” Xiao Zong thought for a moment and said. “Back then, my grandpa could still teach me. He hasn’t fired a gun in a long time, but this place was built for me.”

Gu Yin sighed internally, barely perceptibly.

#Did I misunderstand this princely figure somehow?#

#Where’s the elegant, majestic cat I was promised?#

Author’s Note: Gu Yin comes to terms with reality. Baby still hasn’t fully grown up. (/ω＼)