Chi Zhan picked up the freshwater collector. There had to be a water source nearby—he planned to gather some clean water and take the chance to scout the surroundings.
“I’m going to take a look around. Can you take off the handcuffs now?”
“I’m coming with you,” Xiao Xing replied. He was fully enjoying this rare moment of quiet, nestled against his gege, his nose brushing just barely against the nape of Chi Zhan’s neck. Whether it was intentional or not was impossible to tell.
“I can go alone.”
Xiao Xing’s pale eyes circled his face lazily before he replied, “So what you’re really saying is—you just want to get away from me.”
His tone was light, but there was a trace of jealousy clinging to the words.
“In such a hurry… who is it you’re so eager to find?”
Chi Zhan was completely lost in this conversation, utterly confused.
“I’m not looking for anyone. It’s just… hard to move like this—Don’t you think?”
The handcuffs were definitely a hindrance. Even lifting a hand felt subtly restricted.
But Xiao Xing looked completely at ease with the arrangement—like he was actually enjoying it.
He didn’t say anything more, just stood up. The meaning was clear.
Chi Zhan sighed inwardly. When you’re under someone else’s roof, you’ve got no choice but to bow your head.
They walked on, and the further they went, the damper the air felt. Before long, they spotted a small stream up ahead. Untouched and unpolluted, the clear water gurgled over stones—a rarity in such desolate terrain.
Xiao Xing, surprisingly cooperative now, did whatever Chi Zhan asked without complaint, only occasionally glancing around to keep an eye on their surroundings.
The freshwater collector worked quickly, filling up a cup in no time. Chi Zhan took a couple of sips, then noticed Xiao Xing watching him.
“Want some?”
Xiao Xing nodded. Chi Zhan was about to find another container to filter a new cup for him, but Xiao Xing merely lowered his head and pressed his lips to the rim of the cup Chi Zhan had just used, Adam’s apple bobbing as he drank.
Chi Zhan froze for a moment, staring. But Xiao Xing’s actions were so casual, just like with the mango strip earlier—it gave off the same childish air of someone who believed things always tasted better when stolen from others.
Chi Zhan had definitely underestimated him.
Regardless of gender, everyone produced pheromones—and pheromones were present in bodily fluids. Even Betas, who had the faintest pheromonal presence, would leave behind a trace.
Back when they parted ways, Chi Zhan hadn’t yet undergone secondary gender differentiation. Only now did Xiao Xing learn—his gege had become a Beta.
A Beta completely immune to pheromonal influence.
Even his pheromone scent was faint and elusive.
Xiao Xing had sniffed for a long time earlier but still couldn’t detect his gege’s scent amidst that infuriatingly foreign Alpha pheromone.
Still, he was certain of one thing: that unfamiliar scent on Chi Zhan was not from Qi Song.
His canines pressed lightly into the paper cup’s rim, carefully biting down and curling away every last lingering trace of his gege’s presence. The taste was a little bitter at first—but then a sweetness bloomed faintly on his tongue.
He couldn’t even describe the flavor, and there was barely any of it to begin with, but it was rich, intoxicating—enough to set every drop of blood in his body on fire.
“You’re still drinking?” Chi Zhan asked, puzzled.
Xiao Xing set down the cup. When he looked up again, something shadowy flickered through his pretty, pale eyes—gone in an instant.
“The water’s sweet.”
“It’s from a natural stream,” Chi Zhan said, missing the implication entirely. “I couldn’t do a full filtration, but yeah, it’s surprisingly good.”
Bang—
A gunshot rang out in the distance, sending flocks of birds scattering from the trees. Chi Zhan immediately snapped into combat mode, scanning his surroundings warily as he drew his particle sword and began charging it.
But just as he moved to investigate, the tug at his wrist reminded him he wasn’t exactly free to act.
“Unlock the cuffs. I’m just going to check the situation.”Â
“Really?” Xiao Xing narrowed his eyes. “Swear to me. No tricks.”
Chi Zhan felt a flicker of guilt but kept his face perfectly calm and nodded.
Xiao Xing studied him closely, as if weighing the odds. With the gunfire growing louder, it was clear there were quite a few people nearby. Any second now, they could be discovered.
He’d only cuffed Chi Zhan because he wanted to spend time with him—not to restrict his freedom.
Xiao Xing pulled out a small, silver key from who-knows-where and turned it in his palm a few times, still hesitating.
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed toward them.
Chi Zhan tensed.
The key slid into the lock—click—and at last, the military-grade handcuffs that had restrained him all morning were released.
Chi Zhan had never felt such a rush of freedom.
He turned and bolted.
Even though he didn’t think Xiao Xing meant him harm, Chi Zhan had no intention of sticking with him any longer. Who knew what this guy might pull next?
He couldn’t read him at all.
Besides—they were supposed to be competitors.
Facing Xiao Xing head-on, his odds of winning were slim. So Chi Zhan had no choice but to resort to his last option: running.
Shameful as it was—running worked.
Xiao Xing clearly hadn’t expected Chi Zhan to actually deceive him. He stood frozen for a few seconds. But in that brief pause, Chi Zhan had already disappeared from sight.
And never came back.
Xiao Xing stood there, alone, the realization slowly dawning on him. At first, confusion. Then disbelief.
His fingers curled into fists. With a crack, his knuckles popped under the pressure. A dark, furious glint flared in his eyes.
He lied to him…
His gege lied to him.
Even though he knew Chi Zhan no longer remembered him, he still couldn’t accept it emotionally. Xiao Xing’s chest rose and fell rapidly, frustration boiling over inside him. The scent of that unfamiliar Alpha had already put him on edge—now, the fury had multiplied a hundredfold, just waiting for the right moment to detonate.
So desperate to leave him?
What a shame…
The trace of pheromones he left on his gege’s body wouldn’t fade for a long, long time.
