Let's get married

Married?

Get what?

What marriage?

Ji Chi: ????

Huo Jin casually lifted his dark eyes. His reasoning was sound, his tone exceptionally earnest and serious. "We'll register our marriage at the Supreme Authority's marriage registry. Once we're married, the Special Alpha Protection Center will fully uphold these terms of yours."

"I won't be able to dispute them, either."

"Given my position, being unfaithful to my partner would have a negative social impact. You could make me lose my job."

Huo Jin looked at the identification in front of him and said gently, "This is the ultimate price I'm putting in your hands."

"Without the constraints of marriage, you'll spend these three years on edge."

"Worrying that I'll fall for someone else, that I won't want you anymore, that I'll abandon you, that I'll use my absolute superiority to disregard your terms, that I'll suppress you with pheromones because I'm angry."

"Any promise I make will put you on your guard."

"You're not someone who lets others manipulate him."

"A contract can't give you a sense of security."

"But marriage can."

Every word Huo Jin spoke pressed against the red lines Ji Chi had drawn to protect himself. "Without marriage, pheromone suppression can be explained away with any number of excuses."

He paused for a second, then continued softly, "Within a marriage, pheromone suppression is classified as domestic violence. You can take your medical report and file a complaint under your own name about anything I do."

"But without marriage, I could say you provoked me and deliberately caused trouble."

"Marry me, and you can destroy me."

Those words had an edge, just like the man himself. He was sharp, frighteningly so. The other side of Huo Jin's tenderness was always there.

Yet Huo Jin spoke unhurriedly, with clear reasoning and careful consideration.

His gentleness still outweighed everything else.

Ji Chi's gaze flickered. Huo Jin's words made his chest tingle.

In front of Huo Jin, he had no ability to protect himself. Everything before this had depended on Huo Jin's consistent kindness and restraint.

Even if Huo Jin lost his temper just once, Ji Chi wouldn't have the strength to fight back.

Huo Jin was right. In this relationship, Ji Chi had always been forced to endure.

Even coming to find Huo Jin had been because he couldn't resist his instincts.

Affection was far too superficial.

It came quickly and left just as quickly.

These terms really couldn't restrain Huo Jin.

But if they were married, an Enigma, as an absolute ruler, would be stripped of many rights under the special constitution to enforce absolute equality in society.

A thin sheen of sweat formed in Ji Chi's clenched palms.

Huo Jin was too wicked.

How could someone so gentle be so wicked?

No, wicked wasn't the word. He was too clever.

He could see straight into people's hearts.

Emotion rippled through Huo Jin's deep eyes. "You don't have to agree. I'm only saying this to put you at ease."

"Whatever our relationship, I promise to honor everything in your contract."

"If you trust me, it doesn't matter whether we get married."

"Let's do it!" Ji Chi suddenly raised his eyes.

His words were earnest and serious. "Let's get married!"

Ji Chi rummaged through his pockets. Inside were two bank cards and an identity card.

He took out his identity card. "Let's go right now!"

Huo Jin raised a hand and gave a light cough, his gaze shifting toward the dark window. "The marriage registry has closed for the day."

Ji Chi's Adam's apple bobbed.

He reached out and gathered up the contract in front of him, along with Huo Jin's high-level identification.

Then he immediately said, perfectly composed, "We'll go tomorrow, then."

"All right." Huo Jin stood to clear the bowls, as though none of that interruption had happened.

Ji Chi let out a long breath.

Everything has to start with what's in my best interests.

I have to hold on to every bargaining chip that benefits me. So what if we get married? It's all fake anyway.

After dinner, Ji Chi sat idling on the living room sofa.

The theme song of the movie playing in the living room had the same melody he'd heard in Huo Jin's car last time. It was a French song.

Drawn in, Ji Chi raised his eyes to read the subtitles beneath the song.

His expression grew more and more exaggerated.

"Slip off his long robe..."

"His delicate neck is beautiful..."

"His sexy V-lines gleam... his enticing curves..."

The lyrics grew increasingly explicit, and Ji Chi grew increasingly mortified.

I'd actually been listening to a dirty song in Huo Jin's car?

Ji Chi turned to look at Huo Jin in the kitchen.

He probably doesn't understand French, right?

Ji Chi quickly switched to another program. Huo Jin came out of the kitchen and sat beside him.

Ji Chi asked outright, "Do you... speak French?"

Huo Jin gave a soft, questioning hum, his husky voice inexplicably alluring. "Teaching you shouldn't be a problem."

Ji Chi: "..."

Ji Chi propped up a hand to hide his face. How embarrassing.

But a moment later, he came around. We're already fucking living together. Why should I care about this?

There'll be even more embarrassing things in the future.

Stay calm.

Ji Chi, you two still have endless sex ahead of you.

The atmosphere was subtly charged. The faint cold purple sandalwood pheromones were soothing and comfortable.

They really worked much better than the rabbit.

Ji Chi's gaze wandered around the room before he stole a glance at Huo Jin.

He really was too good-looking. His features were gentle, yet held a distance that seemed to forbid any irreverence. His proportions were better than those of a comic-book character.

The bright white light fell across his face without revealing a single flaw. There was always an air of freshness about him.

If I were an Omega, I might consider a top-tier partner like him.

Perhaps he sensed Ji Chi's gaze.

Huo Jin suddenly turned to look at him.

Ji Chi abruptly picked up the water from the table and took a sip to cover himself, then quickly stood and headed to the bathroom.

Although Ji Chi liked being clean, his wildness came with a certain carelessness. Being so aggressively straight made him far too casual about things.

When Huo Jin saw him emerge from the bathroom without drying his hair, he stood and pulled him back inside.

Ji Chi looked at Huo Jin through gritted teeth. "Why do you have to stick your nose into everything?"

"If it bothers you, dry it for me yourself." Ji Chi looked surly and utterly impatient.

He'd expected Huo Jin to refuse, but instead, Huo Jin took out the hair dryer and said gently, "All right."

Ji Chi: ?

Fuck.

By now, Ji Chi had come to terms with it. They'd already done every outrageous thing anyway.

Any physical contact was nothing.

What does this even count for?

We're even getting married.

None of it matters anymore. Why make a fuss? If there's something to gain, enjoy it.

They were each pursuing what they wanted, that was all.

Huo Jin was interested in him now, so he treated him well. Why shouldn't he accept it?

There was bound to be a time limit on this kindness.

Who knew when it would disappear?

Since he was destined to be the weaker one, he'd accept every bit of that kindness.

After three years, they'd go their separate ways.

Everything would get back on track.

Although it wasn't very likely.

But if, by some stroke of luck, Huo Jin really liked him for three years, learning then that Ji Chi could never develop feelings for him would wear away his hopes just in time.

Nothing could work out better.

The warm air hummed. The fairly spacious bathroom felt inexplicably cramped, every breath amplified several times over.

Ji Chi felt Huo Jin's warm fingertips occasionally brush his cheek.

Ji Chi suddenly looked up. "If you fucking want to touch me, just do it."

Huo Jin's hand stopped abruptly. "I don't want to touch you."

"Then what do you want to do?"

"Kiss you."

"No!!"

"All right."

What the hell? He's actually pretty obedient.

Ji Chi glared at Huo Jin. "Are you feeling smug because I came to find you?"

"Are you laughing at me inside?"

Huo Jin rubbed Ji Chi's head. "I'm not."

Huh?

What's going on? Why do I suddenly feel like he's soothing me?

Ji Chi clenched his jaw and didn't want to speak anymore.

Once his hair was dry, Ji Chi went to the guest room beside the master bedroom.

In Huo Jin's home, the pheromones were strong enough as long as he was nearby.

Ji Chi pointed at Huo Jin. "You're not allowed to sneak over in the middle of the night."

Huo Jin's brow furrowed slightly. "No guarantees."

Ji Chi clenched his hand into a fist. "Huo Jin, don't you dare."

He really was wicked through and through, deliberately making his teasing obvious.

The moment Ji Chi entered the room, he locked the door behind him.

**Click-**the double security lock engaged.

Looking at the closed door, Huo Jin gave a soft laugh, helpless yet indulgent. A shadowy gleam flickered deep within his gentle eyes.

He turned off the living room lights, and everything sank into darkness.

Ji Chi tossed and turned in the room, unable to sleep.

In the middle of the night, Ji Chi sat straight up in bed.

Damn it, is Huo Jin dead?

His pheromones are so faint, it's like he's been dead for three days.

Or is this room made of steel?

Can't his pheromones get through?

At three in the morning, Ji Chi finally gave in to his restless frustration.

He put on his shoes and opened the door.

I'm going to see whether Huo Jin is dead!

Ji Chi walked to Huo Jin's bedroom door, gripped the handle, and pushed gently.

The door opened.

Instantly, the soothing cold purple sandalwood pheromones seeped into every pore.

Ji Chi felt comfortable all over.

He briefly closed his eyes. If he had to choose between dying and sleeping with Huo Jin...

He chose sleeping with Huo Jin.

It wasn't as though they hadn't slept together before.

Ji Chi walked to the bedside and climbed straight into bed, angry and irritable.

Then, without the slightest courtesy-or perhaps out of revenge-he wrapped all of Huo Jin's covers around himself.

"Ah!! You can freeze to death for all I care!"