Chapter 61: A+A (IX)

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Chapter 61: A+A (IX)

“Ugh…” Shang Ke held his aching forehead as he slowly sat up. The soft blanket slipped from his body, revealing a chaotic array of marks across his skin. The insides of his thighs burned painfully, his lower body was almost numb, and that man’s semen still remained inside him. Every time Rhine had climaxed, he had come inside him, not wasting a single drop.

Damn it! I’m not an Omega or a Beta. No matter how many times he comes inside me, I still can’t get pregnant! Worse, that bastard had marked him during the very first climax. Rhine’s pheromones had seeped into his body like a brand.

Shang Ke looked around. He was the only person left in the empty room. Ryan had presumably been sent away by Rhine.

He climbed out of bed and walked into the bathroom on unsteady legs, intending to clean himself thoroughly. To his bewilderment, even after rinsing himself several times, he could not get what remained inside him out. Or rather, his body seemed to be gradually absorbing it until not a single trace remained.

What the hell is going on? Shang Ke stared blankly ahead, bracing both hands against the wall while warm water sprayed over his body.

Forget it. It already happened, so what’s the point of obsessing over it? It’s not going to kill me. Shang Ke rested his forehead against the wall as everything that had happened the previous night replayed endlessly in his mind—the entanglement, the rough thrusts, the possessiveness, their almost bestial coupling.

“Ah—!” Rhine, just you wait. Sooner or later, I’m going to make you pay!

Shang Ke slammed a fist into the wall, his water-misted eyes blazing with fury.

After showering, Shang Ke stepped out of the bathroom and discovered that Rhine had returned. He stood ramrod straight in the room, impeccably dressed and solemnly composed, every inch the stern and distinguished officer.

Shang Ke shot him a furious glare, then turned to his luggage, pulled out a change of clothes, and quickly dressed.

Rhine’s gaze lingered on Shang Ke’s strong waist. The memory of Shang Ke beneath him the previous night immediately sent heat surging through his lower abdomen. He made no further move, however, merely watching in silence as Shang Ke finished dressing.

“Come here.” Rhine’s tone carried an unmistakable command.

Shang Ke stopped two steps away and stared at him silently.

Rhine reached out and pulled Shang Ke in front of him, then lowered his head and breathed in the scent at his neck. Apparently satisfied, he released him and said, “Pack your things. Come home with me.”

Come. Home. With. You?!

“Why should I go home with you?” Shang Ke could not keep up with this man’s thought process at all.

“I already checked you out of the hotel.” Rhine glanced at the time. “Come on. Let’s go home and eat.”

Shang Ke finally lost his patience. “Rhine, could you ask for my opinion before making decisions for me?”

Rhine paused. “Then where would you like to eat?”

That’s not the point at all! Shang Ke was about ready to tear his hair out.

Seeing that Shang Ke still had not answered, Rhine continued, “Since you don’t have a preference, come home with me for dinner.”

“No. I’ve decided I’m eating right here at the hotel!” Shang Ke replied firmly.

“The food at this hotel may look impressive, but the taste is barely passable. It doesn’t come close to your cooking.” Rhine stated this with complete seriousness.

Why did that make him feel both pleased and incredibly stifled at the same time?

The corners of Shang Ke’s mouth twitched. He packed his luggage and said, “Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“Back to the training camp.” If I want a decent meal, I’ll just make it myself.

Shang Ke did not refuse Rhine’s offer to drive him back. There was no point arguing over something so trivial.

On the way, Shang Ke suddenly remembered something. “Oh, right. What about Ryan? Is he all right?”

“Omegas are valuable national assets. I wouldn’t do anything to him,” Rhine replied coldly. “But if I hear that name coming out of your mouth again, I can’t guarantee he’ll continue to be all right.”

Shang Ke: “…”

Once they returned to the training camp, Shang Ke headed straight back to his dormitory without the slightest intention of inviting Rhine in for dinner.

Watching Shang Ke’s retreating back, Rhine spoke as though he were asking his driver and muttering to himself at the same time. “We’ve already established a relationship. Why is he still not affectionate toward me at all?”

The driver looked speechlessly toward the sky. That First Lieutenant is an Alpha! You went and marked him like an Omega without the slightest emotional groundwork. Who could possibly accept that?

Judging by the Brigadier General’s expression, he genuinely seemed to have no idea what he had done wrong. The driver could not decide whether to sympathize with the First Lieutenant or observe a moment of silence for the Brigadier General’s utterly unromantic, heavy-handed methods…

The next day, Shang Ke canceled the remainder of his leave and threw himself back into training. He wanted to think about nothing except training and completing his mission as soon as possible. To that end, he even blocked all communications. If an emergency arose, his teammates would naturally come find him.

Every day, he tried to erase the mark Rhine had left on him. There was no way he could go around carrying that man’s scent. Once, when he ran into Zeka, he actually turned around and fled. Although their interactions during this period had convinced Shang Ke that Zeka probably was not the person he was searching for, he still had no desire to let anyone know that he carried another man’s pheromones.

Five days later, Shang Ke successfully erased Rhine’s mark. It was already extremely difficult to leave a lasting mark on an Alpha. If Rhine had not been overwhelmingly powerful, the marking never would have succeeded in the first place.

Shang Ke emerged from the training room drenched in sweat and immediately spotted the person he least wanted to see. His expression stiffened for a moment before he straightened and gave a military salute.

“You’ve been training too hard these past few days. Your body…” Rhine abruptly stopped. His sharp gaze locked onto Shang Ke. “Where is my mark?”

“I removed it,” Shang Ke replied calmly.

“Is that so?” Rhine’s lips curved slightly, but danger gleamed in his eyes. “I don’t mind marking you again.”

“Rhine, from now on, every time you sleep with me, I’ll go find a Beta and sleep with them once.”

“You dare!” Rhine’s voice turned glacial.

“Why wouldn’t I? We’re both Alphas. Anything you can do, I can do too.” Shang Ke looked him straight in the eye. “Things like this are perfectly normal in the military. People simply take what they need.”

“You can try.” Fury burned in Rhine’s chest. “I have plenty of ways to make you behave.”

“Rhine, don’t treat me like an Omega who can only depend on an Alpha. I’m not only a full-blooded Alpha, I’m also a soldier who values honor as much as his own life.” Shang Ke’s expression was grave. “If you keep forcing me like this, are you trying to destroy my life? Once you’ve taken away all my ideals and my honor, I’ll have nothing left. Is that really the result you want?”

“I never intended to take away your ideals or your honor,” Rhine said heavily.

“Then please leave me alone and let me serve the country in peace. Let me be like every other Alpha soldier and prove my worth as a soldier on the battlefield.” Shang Ke’s gaze was clear, shining with dazzling conviction.

Rhine felt both pleased and frustrated. He wanted to tame Shang Ke, yet did not want to bind him too tightly. If Shang Ke were willing to approach him of his own accord and trust him, Rhine would gladly let him soar freely and do everything in his power to help him realize his ambitions. But Shang Ke was always resisting him and refusing to have sex with him. Was it because Rhine had made such a terrible first impression?

A certain someone apparently had no idea that two people being together required emotional connection and communication—not merely desire, impulse, and overwhelming strength.

Shang Ke could neither accept nor adapt to this kind of relationship. In truth, he was not entirely without feelings for Rhine. It was only the absence of that mole on Rhine’s palm that kept him from putting aside his reservations and pursuing a relationship with him. Rhine’s domineering behavior, however, had erected a thick firewall directly between them. Shang Ke felt guilty toward the person he loved, yet the mission prevented him from leaving for the time being. The conflict tormented him.

Rhine remained silent for a moment, then held out the medical case in his hand. “There are fifteen recovery agents and fifteen physique-enhancing agents inside. Take one of each after training every day. They’ll be good for your body.”

Shang Ke hesitated briefly before accepting the case. “Thank you.”

Rhine nodded, gave him one more look, then turned and left.

Shang Ke watched his straight-backed figure disappear, an unfamiliar feeling stirring in his heart. Strange. He was actually reasonable this time?

After that, Rhine stopped seeking Shang Ke out directly, though he kept a close watch on him from the shadows to make sure he did not actually go fool around with anyone else. Shang Ke proved far more abstinent than Rhine expected. Every day consisted of training and more training. Forget sleeping around—he barely even went out to get some fresh air.

Although Rhine admired his determination, it still left a sour taste in his mouth. Every time he saw Shang Ke train until he could barely stand, he wanted to throw him over his shoulder, carry him into his room, and order him to rest properly. But remembering what Shang Ke had said, Rhine suppressed the impulse. He merely sent him medicine regularly and arranged for a specialist to examine him. Heaven knew he was nearly going mad from wanting to push Shang Ke down again. After having tasted him once, abstinence had become an almost unbearable form of torture.

Fortunately for Rhine’s self-control, a little over a month later, news arrived from the front, and he once again led his troops onto the battlefield.

This campaign lasted for more than a year, during which they fought the Insectoids in more than a hundred engagements, large and small. Shang Ke charged at the forefront every time and accumulated military merit at astonishing speed. In only three months, he advanced from the Special Operations Reserve Unit to become a full member of the special-operations unit.

His exceptional combat skills also became renowned throughout the military.

During a lull in the fighting, Isaac, who had once challenged Shang Ke, sheepishly came to ask him for advice on combat techniques. Shang Ke did not keep his knowledge to himself. Instead, he broke down his martial techniques, recorded them as instructional videos, and distributed them among his comrades for study and exchange.

What Shang Ke had studied in the System Space was ancient martial arts, incorporating the essence of martial traditions from many different eras. Without a solid foundation, it was difficult to bring out their true power, but many of the individual techniques were still worth learning from.

The Empire’s soldiers relied primarily on brute strength in combat. Their techniques lacked flexibility and variation. They had never thought there was anything wrong with that before, but after studying Shang Ke’s martial arts, they finally understood what it meant for a technique to be exquisitely refined, unexpectedly deceptive, and endlessly adaptable.

Shang Ke’s martial-arts videos quickly swept through the entire military, sparking a widespread craze for studying ancient martial arts. Before long, portions of the videos were uploaded to the public network, causing another wave of astonishment and heated discussion. People named the style the “Dance of Mo,” and both it and Filmore’s name left a lasting mark on the history of military combat.

Because of the enormous influence of the Dance of Mo, Shang Ke was promoted from First Lieutenant to Captain one year later.

“Look, it’s Filmore.” At the victory banquet, several Omegas and Betas immediately turned to look when Shang Ke entered.

“Hey, isn’t that Brigadier General Lancelot beside him?”

“Ah—both of them are so outstanding. Which one should I choose?”

“Even if either of them were choosing, they’d choose a beauty. Stop dreaming.”

“Hmph. Maybe they prefer an ‘approachable’ Beta like me.”

“Hehe.”

Shang Ke wore a finely tailored white formal suit that evening, forming a striking contrast with Rhine’s black attire. Standing together, the pair drew countless gazes.

Shang Ke did not particularly enjoy occasions like this, but the invitation had come personally from the Marshal, making it difficult to refuse. He therefore had no choice but to attend with Rhine.

For more than a year, Rhine had not crossed the line with him again, so some of Shang Ke’s resentment had finally eased. Besides, after spending every day fighting Insectoids, he had little time or energy left to dwell on these matters. All he wanted now was to complete his mission as soon as possible and leave this world.

Rhine had vaguely sensed Shang Ke’s state of mind. During this period, Shang Ke did nothing but train and fight, keeping everyone at arm’s length and living almost like a machine. Considering his background, such behavior was distinctly abnormal.

Rhine felt that Shang Ke had not originally been like this. He should have been more cheerful, more relaxed, happier. Rhine could tell simply from the food Shang Ke made that he knew how to enjoy life, rather than living this harsh, monotonous existence devoted solely to fighting and killing.

After dealing with the umpteenth person who came over to toast him, Shang Ke rubbed his slightly dizzy forehead. Listening to the voices around him, he suddenly felt exhausted. Only two years had passed in this world, yet somehow it seemed harder to endure than every world he had experienced before.

Was it because “he” wasn’t here?

“If you’re tired, go back and rest early.” At some point, Rhine had come to his side. He put a steadying arm around Shang Ke’s waist and spoke quietly.

Shang Ke nodded, failing to notice just how close Rhine was. Leaning into the support he offered, he prepared to leave.

Just then, laughter sounded nearby. Several officers approached and greeted them enthusiastically, inevitably leading to yet another round of raised glasses.

Without drawing attention to it, Rhine blocked several rounds of drinks for Shang Ke and handled the socializing in his place. The officers did not dare behave too freely in front of Rhine, so after joking for a few moments, they moved on.

When Rhine turned back, he discovered that Shang Ke was gone.

He frowned and strode out of the hall, just in time to see Zeka helping Shang Ke into a car before speeding away.

Rhine’s expression darkened. He immediately started his own vehicle and gave chase.

Within moments, Rhine accelerated past Zeka’s car, made a sharp turn, and blocked the road ahead.

Cold sweat broke out across Zeka as he barely managed to stop less than ten centimeters from Rhine’s vehicle. Seeing Rhine step out, he inwardly cursed his bad luck. Glancing at the drowsy Shang Ke in the passenger seat, he could not help feeling disappointed. Tonight had presented a rare opportunity to sleep with Shang Ke, only for Rhine to ruin it.

“Get out.” Rhine opened the door, gave Zeka an icy glance, then extended a hand toward Shang Ke.

Shang Ke looked at Rhine through a drunken haze. In the darkness, he could not make out the man’s face clearly. He only felt that the scent was deeply familiar, and instinctively reached out, allowing Rhine to pull him into his arms.

Shang Ke leaned against him and wrapped both arms around his waist.

Rhine’s heart gave a sudden leap. Shang Ke’s unconscious closeness filled him with indescribable delight.

He shot Zeka a piercing glare. “He’s mine. You’d better not let me find out you’re making a move on him.”

Zeka froze, then stared at him in surprise. “You’re serious about him? He’s an Alpha. Will your family accept him?” Rhine was different from Zeka. Unless he had truly chosen someone, he would never make a move.

“That’s my concern. You don’t need to worry about it. Just mind your own business.” Rhine kicked the door shut and carried Shang Ke back to his own car.

“Tsk, what a pity. I made my move too late. Now I don’t stand a chance.” Zeka watched the maglev car disappear into the distance and sighed to himself.

Rhine sped all the way back, still savoring Shang Ke’s earlier closeness. The memory scratched teasingly at his heart like a kitten’s paw, leaving him unbearably restless.

After pulling into his villa, Rhine made no move to enter the house. Instead, he turned toward Shang Ke, two flames of desire burning in his eyes.

“Fil.” Rhine leaned closer and gently bit Shang Ke’s lip.

“Mm?” Shang Ke opened his eyes. Through the haze, the figure before him seemed to overlap with someone achingly familiar, and bitterness welled up in his heart. The loneliness and longing he had carried for so long nearly swallowed him whole.

Rhine gazed into his misty eyes, heat surging through him as his powerful, domineering pheromones filled the enclosed space.

He lowered the seat, pulled Shang Ke into his arms, and kissed him fiercely.

It’s him… Shang Ke sank into that familiar scent, unable to think clearly.

Inside the cramped car, their heated bodies became tightly entangled, both losing themselves in the moment. Soft panting, the sounds of bodies brushing together, and the faint vibrations of the vehicle intertwined beneath the night, lending the darkness an unmistakably intimate air.

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