Help You

Chi Li froze. Before he had a chance to react, Si Jinyan's large, scorching palm was already pressed against his back. Chi Li's spine trembled as though it had been burned.

The next second, Chi Li's entire body stiffened. He did not know what Si Jinyan intended to do—whether he needed Chi Li to soothe him during his susceptible period, or whether he had learned something and meant to punish him.

Si Jinyan was only checking Chi Li's wounds. His rough fingertips brushed over Chi Li's pale skin, which was covered in scars. Most had already scabbed over, while bandages still wrapped his arms, shoulders, and legs.

"You're injured," Si Jinyan said, a faint, almost imperceptible ache in his voice.

Only then did Chi Li realize that Si Jinyan merely wanted to inspect his wounds. But they were still in Bai Qi's garden, where servants could pass by at any moment. Footsteps seemed to sound nearby.

Si Jinyan did not care in the slightest. His gaze was dark, and he showed no intention of stopping. Chi Li's robe hung wide open, and Si Jinyan even bent down to examine his thigh, which was also wrapped in bandages.

Perhaps Si Jinyan was simply too close. Chi Li could even feel the warmth of his breath brushing against the skin of his thigh.

Chi Li retreated half a step, only for Si Jinyan to seize his ankle. A particularly conspicuous scar ran across half of Chi Li's right calf. It was the most glaring of all his scars, and it was hard to imagine how horrifying it must have looked when it had first been inflicted.

As an alpha, Chi Li had never taken such minor injuries seriously. Getting hurt on missions was inevitable; making it out alive without losing an arm or a leg was already a blessing. Si Jinyan had no idea how many times more scars than this, yet Si Jinyan's serious expression now left Chi Li both startled and uneasy.

His clothes barely covered him, and the unfamiliar footsteps were drawing closer. Chi Li had no choice but to remind Si Jinyan, "Someone's coming."

Chi Li felt somewhat embarrassed. Si Jinyan paused at those words, straightened up, and stared into Chi Li's eyes. Then he directly swept Chi Li up around the waist. Chi Li suddenly left the ground, and without even looking back, Si Jinyan carried him away along the path they had come from, leaving no room for resistance.

Chi Li had wanted to say goodbye to Bai Qi before leaving, but clearly, he did not have the chance now.

They did not encounter a single servant along the way. The manor gates stood open, and two spacecraft were parked outside, both belonging to Si Jinyan's own people.

With such a commotion, Bai Qi could not possibly be unaware. As Chi Li looked at the wide-open gates, he thought Bai Qi had likely received word long ago. Just as Bai Qi had said, he did not want to interfere in anything.

At that thought, Chi Li relaxed instead.

In the instant he lost focus, he had already been carried into the spacecraft. The door shut, leaving only him and Si Jinyan in the silence. The sandalwood pheromones radiating from Si Jinyan, heavy with desire, grew even stronger.

The robe covering Chi Li was stripped away completely.

Si Jinyan held Chi Li in his arms, his brows faintly furrowed. "So many injuries. What else did they do to you?"

Chi Li sat on Si Jinyan's lap, a position that forced his back to press tightly against Si Jinyan's chest.

Chi Li glossed over the details and did not mention having his pheromones extracted.

Si Jinyan's expression darkened with every word.

Within the sealed cabin, Si Jinyan's pheromones, mixed with desire and agitation, became increasingly potent. It had been nearly five days since Chi Li disappeared. Based on past experience, Si Jinyan should have already reached some critical point by now and been in considerable pain.

Chi Li released his pheromones to soothe Si Jinyan and said softly, "I'm already much better. It isn't serious."

After a brief silence, Si Jinyan suddenly pulled Chi Li close and kissed his forehead. He looked at Chi Li with guilt in his eyes, his voice hoarse. "I'm sorry."

Those pitch-black eyes were bottomless. Chi Li's heart felt as if it had been fiercely gripped and dragged into that abyss. His heartbeat suddenly sped up, leaving him both surprised and shocked.

Even someone as slow to notice as Chi Li could sense Si Jinyan's feelings now—the restrained yet intense emotions woven through all those ambiguous gestures of concern.

When Chi Li went missing, Si Jinyan had been anxious. When Chi Li was hurt, Si Jinyan blamed himself for failing to protect him.

Was it all merely the influence of their highly compatible pheromones?

But whatever the reason, the real Chi Li could not return those feelings, nor could he accept them.

Si Jinyan buried his face in Chi Li's neck. His warm breath fell over Chi Li's skin, bringing a tingling itch that spread all the way to his heart.

"You don't need to say that to me," Chi Li said.

After a short silence, Si Jinyan lifted his head and kissed Chi Li on the lips.

Si Jinyan kissed him with the force of someone who wanted to tear him apart and swallow him whole. The overwhelming, undisguised desire even sent a chill down Chi Li's spine.

The air grew hotter and hotter.

After a long while, Chi Li's taut nerves finally relaxed, and a fine layer of sweat formed on his forehead...

A sudden knock sounded outside the cabin where Chi Li and Si Jinyan were.

The spacecraft was already on its way back. Si Jinyan had carried Chi Li into one of the cabins, and the person outside was from the neighboring cabin.

Then Lu Jiu's voice came from outside. "Si Jinyan, Chi Li is injured right now. He can't take you tormenting him. In your current state, can you control yourself? You might feel good, but what about Chi Li?"

Because Si Jinyan had been extremely unstable after Chi Li's disappearance, Lu Jiu had stayed by Si Jinyan's side almost the entire time these past few days.

Even in the past, Si Jinyan had only worsened gradually. He had never experienced such dangerous fluctuations in such a short period. His eyes had turned gold several times, and dark scale-like patterns had even appeared on his skin.

Unless Si Jinyan truly could not endure any longer, he would never seek out Lu Jiu. Lu Jiu was worried, so he had no choice but to follow Si Jinyan around all day.

Inside the cabin, Chi Li seemed to suddenly come back to himself. Lu Jiu's words from outside made his face burn again.

Si Jinyan was one thing, but how had he also lost control?

Chi Li pushed Si Jinyan away, looking slightly embarrassed. "Marshal, let's talk after we get back."

Only then did Si Jinyan let Chi Li go. He wrapped Chi Li from head to toe in a long robe before rising and opening the door with a grim expression.

The moment the door opened, pheromones saturated with desire rushed straight at Lu Jiu. As an alpha, Lu Jiu did not take it well, and his stomach churned.

Si Jinyan's expression worsened at being interrupted by another alpha during his susceptible period. As if he already knew what Lu Jiu wanted to say, Si Jinyan said, "No examination now. We'll talk when we get back. Tell them to head straight to the research institute."

Lu Jiu breathed a sigh of relief. Before he could even get the word "okay" out, the door in front of him shut again.

Si Jinyan turned and walked back toward Chi Li.

Little Chi Li had been released once and had already gone limp.

Si Jinyan, on the other hand, was still full of energy.

Perhaps noticing Chi Li's gaze, Si Jinyan said, "You haven't recovered yet. I'll just hold you."

Chi Li was pulled back into Si Jinyan's arms. He only felt as though he were being held by a huge lion. Si Jinyan hugged him tightly, rubbing his head against the back of Chi Li's neck.

The moment Chi Li moved, he felt something press against him. He knew Si Jinyan was enduring it with difficulty.

Breathing in Chi Li's pheromones, Si Jinyan took deep breaths and tried his utmost to suppress the desire in his body. Then he suddenly heard the person in his arms say, "I'll help you, like you helped me just now."

As Chi Li moved, Si Jinyan's eyes darkened, and the balance he had barely managed to maintain collapsed completely.