Chapter 32: Exclusive Lessons (Includes 1.8w Nutrient Solution Bonus)

Chapter 32: Exclusive Tutoring (Includes Bonus for 18,000 Nutrient Solution)

Who in their right mind would say no when their sweetheart asks for a kiss?

Even if Ji Chou hadn't offered to teach him about handling affairs and had only asked for a kiss, Xie Chi would have kissed him directly anyway.

He wrapped his arms around the man's neck, planted another big smooch on the other side of his face, then looked up at him with a clear voice: "Kissed!"

The man answered with a knowing, half-smiling look.

"That didn't really count as a kiss, did it?"

Xie Chi went "huh?" and froze.

Wait... that's not right?

Then how the hell was he supposed to kiss?

Seeing Xie Chi's bewildered expression, Yan Wanqiu knew this dummy had no clue.

He sighed, exasperated, and tapped his own lips with his finger: "Kiss right here."

Xie Chi's face turned red again.

Blushing, he looked up and pressed his lips to the man's thin ones.

The young alpha's kiss was clumsy and tentative, and the fresh scent of oranges spilled from his mouth, deepening with each passing second.

Yan Wanqiu silently indulged him, letting the kiss deepen.

The air grew thick with orange-scented pheromones as they tumbled onto the big soft bed, still tangled in each other's arms.

They only broke apart when both were breathless.

"Babe..."

Xie Chi was all worked up from the kiss, nuzzling into the man's neck and whining sweetly.

So "wife" meant making out—he'd thought it was just about pecks on the cheek.

It took his sweetheart spelling it out for him—he was a total failure as a husband.

Xie Chi breathed in the thick orange pheromones, when something clicked as wrong.

He looked up at Yan Wanqiu: "Babe, did I kiss you wrong?"

Yan Wanqiu had been dazed for a second too, and blinked back to reality, confused: "Why do you say that?"

Xie Chi pointed at his neck. "I couldn't smell you today."

Yan Wanqiu, still lightheaded from the kiss, jolted awake at that.

No shit Xie Chi couldn't smell him—he had a blocker patch on.

For some reason, whenever his Pheromone Dysregulation Syndrome acted up, the second he caught Xie Chi's scent, his usual icy cedar would morph into a softer, steadier pinewood.

That was how he'd kept his cover around Xie Chi.

This time, he wasn't in a dysregulation flare-up and had no plans to sleep with Xie Chi, so he'd slapped on a blocker patch just in case.

Realizing he'd let Xie Chi's flattery go to his head and stupidly asked for a kiss, Yan Wanqiu pressed his lips together, annoyed at himself.

He shoved Xie Chi back a little and said seriously: "Okay, kiss over. Time for your first lesson in management basics."

Xie Chi's eyes went wide, totally blindsided by Ji Chou going all serious out of nowhere.

He was already hard, staring at the man with a miserable, pleading look: "Babe..."

Yan Wanqiu reached out and pinched his cheek: "Don't give me those puppy eyes. Your hand's still hurt, and I'm not sleeping with you."

Xie Chi finally, truly regretted getting hurt. He tried one last time: "Then you can be on top, it's fine—mmph—"

Yan Wanqiu, half-embarrassed, half-pissed, squished his face into a blob, and Xie Chi's words came out all garbled.

"Quit your yapping." Yan Wanqiu hauled Xie Chi up and pulled up his smart device. "Let's talk business."

The screen was still on the page where Xie Chi had sent the file, and Nie Huaiyi had already replied.

"Nie Huaiyi: Got it. I'll take care of it right away."

"Nie Huaiyi: Captain Xie, you still coming to the meeting? The document is already very clear. If not, I'll head back on my own."

"Nie Huaiyi: Captain Xie? You alright?"

Xie Chi had been all over Ji Chou the second he walked in, totally forgetting Nie Huaiyi was still out there waiting like a lost puppy.

Seeing Nie Huaiyi's message from five minutes ago, Xie Chi dropped the clingy act and shot back a reply.

"Xie Chi: I've got stuff to handle. Stick to the plan. I'll take full responsibility for anything that goes wrong."

After replying to Nie Huaiyi, Xie Chi turned around and saw Ji Chou opening a pile of web resources on the other side, looking every bit the stern teacher.

Xie Chi felt a headache coming on: "Babe, I'm a killer. I don't need to learn this stuff, do I...?"

Yan Wanqiu raised an eyebrow at him: "You planning to be a hitman forever? What if Yan Wanqiu promotes you in the future, and you miss the opportunity because you can't handle the responsibility?"

Teaching Xie Chi wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision.

This guy was utterly clueless about everything except killing. Yan Wanqiu planned to keep Xie Chi and give him important roles, so he couldn't afford to let him remain so ignorant of the situation—otherwise, not only would he fail to get promoted and entrusted with more, but various problems would also arise.

Now that Yan Wanqiu had a temporary way to suppress the dysregulation syndrome, he naturally wanted revenge even more. Regarding Xie Chi's claim that "the reward for killing Yan Huishi is half the power of the United Kingdom," Yan Wanqiu had seriously considered it this afternoon.

He didn't mind sharing power—his physical condition dictated that he would have to share power in the future, whether with Xie Chi or with Nie Huaiyi and others.

The prerequisite was that the person sharing power had to be someone capable, someone who could share his burdens, not someone who would cause a major disaster the moment he wasn't watched.

Given Xie Chi's attitude today of "kill anyone who doesn't submit," Yan Wanqiu would have to be under some kind of spell to hand over power to him at this time.

But not now didn't mean not ever.

To earn a subordinate's loyalty, one needed to offer sufficient rewards, and to have subordinates with the abilities one wanted, one needed not only to select the worthy but also to cultivate them.

Although Xie Chi often left him speechless with frustration, Yan Wanqiu looked forward to Xie Chi's growth.

Therefore, even without today's opportunity, Yan Wanqiu had planned to find someone to give Xie Chi intensive tutoring.

Now that he thought about it, no one was more suitable than himself to teach.

With this in mind, Yan Wanqiu looked at the thoughtful Xie Chi and continued to provoke him: "Aren't you supposed to support me? If you can't keep getting promoted, what are you going to use to support me?"

That comment hit Xie Chi right where it hurt most.

He still had to work with Yan Wanqiu for another ten-plus months, and during that time, Xie Chi wanted to keep climbing the ladder and rake in more money.

Especially after the mining incident, Xie Chi had become painfully aware of his shortcomings; otherwise, he wouldn't have hit the ground running, digging up intel from every angle the second he got out of the hospital.

Xie Chi shot back, "I want to learn! I'll climb the ranks and take care of you!"

Yan Wanqiu ruffled his hair. "Good boy."

Xie Chi's face went red again, and he stumbled over his words. "Then... can you hold on a sec? I gotta hit the bathroom first..."

Yan Wanqiu's eyes slid down, a nasty little smirk lurking in them.

"Come here," he said.

Xie Chi, clueless about his bad intentions, obediently shuffled over.

Yan Wanqiu reached out, hauled Xie Chi in, grabbed his good hand, and started stroking it.

?!

Xie Chi's entire body tensed up.

Yan Wanqiu let out an annoyed tsk. "What's this ring on your hand? It's getting in the way."

Having his wife touch him like this was way too much for Xie Chi; his brain short-circuited, and he blurted out, "Because this ring's important, I can't just toss it aside..."

Yan Wanqiu's mouth turned down a notch.

What ring could be so damn important that it's gotta sit on the ring finger?

At first, he figured it was the engagement ring Yan Baiyue had given Xie Chi to keep him in check, but Yan Baiyue was dead now, and this clearly wasn't that. So what the hell was it?

That feeling of losing control grated on Yan Wanqiu. He grabbed Xie Chi's hand in a punitive grip, deliberately scraping the ring against him.

Xie Chi started shaking all over.

The alpha's orange-scented pheromones in the air kept thickening, about to hit their peak.

Just then, Yan Wanqiu raised a hand and clamped down on the source of the pheromones.

Xie Chi's eyes went red from being choked off.

"Wife..." he whined, looking up at Yan Wanqiu with pitiful eyes.

Satisfied after getting his payback, Yan Wanqiu felt a lot better. He pinched Xie Chi, pulled up the guy's smart device screen, and said, all business, "Okay, time for class."

Like hell he could focus at a moment like this.

Xie Chi squirmed, desperate to beg for mercy, but then the man's low voice cut in: "Lesson one: in any game, never let your opponent see your cards or your real intentions. Take our camp's setup as an example."

"Not much to cover tonight. Finish everything, and you'll get a reward."

Xie Chi blurted out, "What reward?"

Yan Wanqiu curved his thin lips into a slight smirk. "That's a secret."

At midnight, the cold front rolled in.

The wind howled outside, rattling the door panels, and fat snowflakes piled another thick layer onto the endless snowfield.

Before long, the snow had buried the doorstep.

The camp was a hive of noise. Under Yan Wanqiu's orders, several squads braved the freezing wind with lanterns, heading out into the snowy night toward the towns that had lost power.

Inside, the missing Second Prince was tangled up in something scandalous with his shadow guard.

...

The next day, around noon.

Yan Wanqiu's hands ached, and he washed up in front of the mirror with a blank face.

He had to be out of his mind to do something that ridiculous.

It was all because Xie Chi had suddenly started crying last night, and he'd gotten swept up by that face.

Not only had he called the guy "husband," but he'd also taught Xie Chi like that afterward...

And Xie Chi, why the hell did he have to take so long?

After finishing the planned lesson, Xie Chi, having already been taken care of once, wasn't so easy to control the second time around.

To avoid getting dragged into another round by the alpha, whose eyes had already gone dark with lust, Yan Wanqiu had no choice but to grit his teeth and pull out every trick to help Xie Chi.

He'd come to settle the score with Xie Chi, but instead, he'd ended up re-bandaging him, soothing him, and giving him a private lesson.

Yan Wanqiu ground his teeth in annoyance.

This time had been close enough; if this kept up, he might blow his cover one day out of sheer carelessness.

He wanted to keep Xie Chi using the "Ji Chou" identity, not actually hand himself over.

Besides, Xie Chi hated Yan Wanqiu that much; if he ever found out the truth, he'd probably turn into an enemy.

Having made up his mind to keep his distance from Xie Chi, Yan Wanqiu washed his face one last time, bent down to schedule a message, and then left the bathroom.

The second he stepped out, he spotted Xie Chi crouched by the door.

Xie Chi had gotten scolded last night and didn't dare mess with his bandages anymore. Now he was crouched on the ground with one bandaged hand, looking pathetic as hell.

Yan Wanqiu blinked. "What are you squatting there for?"

Xie Chi looked up at him with big, pleading eyes. "Because you said this morning that once the road was cleared, you'd leave. The road outside was just cleared, and I don't want you to go. I want to look at you a little longer."

...How foolish.

Yan Wanqiu helplessly pulled Xie Chi up. "I'm going back to work. If I don't return, the Prince will hold you accountable when he comes back. And didn't you say we'd see each other once a week from now on? It's not like I'm never coming back."

Xie Chi was still reluctant, leaning bonelessly against the man, his voice sticky and soft. "I really don't want you to go..."

For some reason, even though he had been scolded by his wife last night, he felt even closer to him instead.

At least before last night, Xie Chi would never have dared to cling to him and act so shamelessly.

Yan Wanqiu tried several times to pry Xie Chi off with a firm heart, but each time, the other stuck right back on.

As the two remained locked in a standoff, Xie Chi's neural device suddenly lit up.

Yan Wanqiu gave him a nudge. "You got a message."

Xie Chi reluctantly opened his neural device, and his expression immediately hardened.

"Yan Wanqiu: I'm back. Come to the palace this afternoon to report on last night's events."

"Yan Wanqiu's back." Xie Chi straightened up, his tone turning solemn. "He's coming to see me about last night. I'll go meet him this afternoon and see what his stance is. If he's not looking for trouble, I'll make sure to report your contributions faithfully."

He knew what mattered most, immediately letting go of Ji Chou and even starting to push him out the door. "Better get going. Even though he didn't mention a time limit again, he definitely wouldn't like seeing you hang around me for too long. Don't give him another excuse to come after you."

Yan Wanqiu breathed a sigh of relief, privately grateful that he'd set the scheduled message in the bathroom earlier, while also feeling a sense of letdown at how quickly Xie Chi's demeanor had shifted.

He paused at the doorway, taking one final look at the young man inside. "I'm heading out. See you next time?"

Xie Chi nodded vigorously. "See you next time!"

Under Xie Chi's gaze, Yan Wanqiu reached out and closed the wooden door, shutting away his young lover and the warm hearth behind it.

Once Xie Chi's face was out of sight, the gentle expression on Yan Wanqiu's face gradually faded, replaced by the cold aloofness of a man in power.

The camp had snowplows, and the main road had been quickly cleared, with waist-high snowbanks piled up on either side.

Taking cover behind the snowbanks, Yan Wanqiu walked to a corner and stepped out, his mask and colored contact lenses already removed.

"Your Highness!"

A sharp-eyed guard spotted him and hurried over at a jog.

"Your Highness! You're finally back! Deputy Captain Nie said to report to you as soon as you were spotted. Last night, when the cold wave hit, Icebound City suddenly attacked at 11:30, cutting off Blizzard City's power supply. Several areas saw unrest. Captain Xie proposed—"

Yan Wanqiu kept walking forward, listening to his subordinate's report, his eyes narrowing as he looked toward Icebound City.

He gave terse orders: "Have Shi Peijue come see me now. This afternoon I'll summon Xie Chi, and then I'll go talk to Mr. Ai. Notify all teams that starting tonight, I'll personally tour and inspect the disaster areas. Everyone better be on high alert—anyone pulling any tricks at a time like this will be treated as a traitor and executed in public. Go relay the orders first; I'll discuss the details with people in person later."

"Yes, sir!" The subordinate immediately left to deliver the orders.

Yan Wanqiu watched him depart and continued walking briskly toward the palace.

That brief moment of indulgence and warmth—let it stay with the identity of "Ji Chou."

Yan Wanqiu, with little time left and carrying too much hatred, couldn't turn back, nor could he afford to.

.

Meanwhile.

"You Fuzhu, is this the plan you said would definitely deal a heavy blow to Yan Wanqiu while he's in the throes of Pheromone Dysregulation Syndrome?"

In the city lord's mansion of Icebound City, Yan Huishi's face appeared on the video feed, his blue-green eyes coldly watching the grim-faced You Fuzhu.

Neither he nor You Fuzhu believed the rumor that "the emergency plan last night was proposed by Xie Chi."

They'd both dealt with Xie Chi before—that man was too simple. Such a swift, precise, ruthless, and multi-benefit meticulous plan could only be Yan Wanqiu's doing.

But this was too strange. Having just narrowly escaped death, how could Yan Wanqiu, who was deep in dysregulation just the day before, have recovered his sanity so quickly?

There was no trace of a smile left in You Fuzhu's fox-like eyes. He frowned. "Your Highness, although Yan Wanqiu didn't die in the siege, he must have been badly wounded to escape. Plus, with his pheromone dysregulation triggered, by all logic he shouldn't regain consciousness for at least a week. His subordinates all look to him as their leader—once he fell into dysregulation, the entire camp should have been without a leader. According to the original plan, if the power outage wasn't handled promptly, the public anger in Blizzard City alone would have been enough to deal Yan Wanqiu a heavy blow. I also don't understand why they reacted so quickly last night."

"Unless..." You Fuzhu said carefully, "he didn't fall into pheromone dysregulation."

Yan Huishi sneered. "So you're saying this is all my fault for not making Yan Wanqiu go crazy? With that kind of dosage, how could he not have issues?"

"No, that's not what I mean." You Fuzhu quickly explained. "According to intel from our mole in Blizzard City, Yan Wanqiu did fall into a frenzy shortly after barely escaping, but he woke up the very next day. I suspect he found some way to temporarily suppress the dysregulation."

"As far as I know, he doesn't have any doctors specializing in pheromones around him. Even if he has some method, it's just a band-aid, not a cure. He just happened to be lucid this time. The frozen period is long—there'll always be a time when he can't control his condition. Even if this attempt fails, I can keep making trouble for him, and when he falls into dysregulation again, we'll attack."

Hearing this, Yan Huishi's expression relaxed considerably.

He hadn't tried to wipe Yan Wanqiu out from the very beginning, partly because the man was already terminally ill.

Rather than bear the infamy of killing him outright, it was better to let Yan Wanqiu wither away on his own.

But he never expected Yan Wanqiu to be so fortunate—even exiled to Blizzard City under these circumstances, he'd managed to discover thermal ore, build up a power base in short order, and even openly defy him by killing Yan Baiyue.

He'd thrown everything into bringing Yan Wanqiu down, only for the man to simply find a new place to keep shining.

The thought that his attacks on Yan Wanqiu had instead become the springboard for the man to rapidly expand his influence and win over the people made Yan Huishi's skin crawl.

He was reminded again of that helpless feeling from back when Yan Wanqiu first entered politics, when every move he made against him was futile.

He'd fought tooth and nail to create problems for the man, only for each one to become another achievement on Yan Wanqiu's record, propelling him ever higher—until Yan Huishi poisoned him, finally ending that nightmarish cycle.

At the thought, Yan Huishi gritted his teeth and said to You Fuzhu, "Before the shipping routes fully close, I'll send you another batch of weapons. Keep close watch on Yan Wanqiu's situation. If you can't stop his development, find the right moment to open hostilities immediately."

"If you can't handle Yan Wanqiu and waste all those weapons I'm giving you, I'll hold you accountable once the frozen period ends."

You Fuzhu, as if he hadn't heard the threat at all, bowed his head slightly and replied respectfully, "Understood."

Then he added, "Your Highness, those new weapons consume enormous energy. Our energy stone reserves in Icebound City aren't sufficient, and we've been relying on imports from the capital. With energy consumption doubling during the frozen period, I'm afraid—"

Yan Huishi didn't care about such a trivial amount of energy. He said directly, "I'll have them sent along with the shipment."

With that, he ended the call.

"Whew—"

You Fuzhu stared at the disconnected line and let out a breath of relief.

Good. Yan Huishi hadn't noticed that the other portion of electromagnetic guns and supplies had been pocketed by him.

Watching the heavy snow falling outside the window, You Fuzhu's fox-like eyes, which usually carried a hint of mirth, held only gravity now.

Unlike Blizzard City, which sat in a basin sheltered by tall mountains, Icebound City was located at the harbor. Cold currents swept in carrying moisture, then were forced upward by the terrain, giving it more than three times the annual snowfall of Blizzard City, with relentless blizzards throughout the frozen period.

If not for pledging allegiance to the capital, Icebound City would likely have become something like the central glaciers and Everfrost City—mere pawns in the game between Shuofeng City, the largest inland territory in the far north, and Xiansong City, the most resource-rich in the south.

Or perhaps even worse—the central glaciers and Everfrost City were inland and relatively less humid, while Icebound City faced uniquely catastrophic blizzards every frozen period.

Three meters of snow in some areas was the norm; ten meters wasn't unusual either.

To keep this city alive on the Northern Star, one had to stop at nothing.

You Fuzhu called for his aide. "Pass the order: the electricity originally allocated to Blizzard City will be distributed in batches to various areas within our city. Yan Wanqiu's system isn't bad—hold a meeting this afternoon to see how we can adapt it for Icebound City. Since His Highness is sending energy stones, we won't be short on power this frozen period."

"Also, the city's free clinic will open as usual this year. Pay close attention to the hardest-hit disaster areas. Supplies can be drawn directly from the warehouse. I'll conduct a personal inspection once I'm done here."

The subordinate acknowledged and withdrew, while You Fuzhu let out a long, quiet sigh.

If only Yan Wanqiu had been smart enough back then to cooperate with him after discovering the thermal ore, he wouldn't have to grovel for scraps from the capital.

But since things had already come to this, given Yan Wanqiu's vindictive nature, he clearly wouldn't let him off easily, and Yan Huishi certainly wouldn't tolerate him lining his own pockets.

Without a doubt, a battle between Icecold City and Blizzard City was inevitable.

For energy, and for survival.

.

Inside the Blizzard City camp.

Xie Chi wasn't idle after seeing off Ji Chou.

Yesterday he had given Yan Wanqiu a hundred quantum guns, but perhaps because his Pheromone Dysregulation Syndrome had flared up again, he hadn't had a chance to verify their authenticity, which meant the chat restriction between him and Ji Chou still hadn't been lifted.

But he would be able to see Yan Wanqiu this afternoon, and then he could watch him lift the restriction on the spot, so for once, Xie Chi was unusually lavish and didn't send Ji Chou messages up to the character limit.

"Xie Chi: Honey, I've finished getting cleaned up! I've memorized everything you taught me yesterday! I remembered the reward you said you haven't given me yet—will you bring it next time you come?"

"Xie Chi: Honey, I'm not short on money, don't go spending money on anything expensive. I'm eating right now—it's the food you brought yesterday."

"Xie Chi: Honey, honey, if Yan Wanqiu appreciates your skills, besides the cafeteria, where else would you want to work? First of all, rule out the Shadow Guard—even though I'd love to see you every day, it's too rough there, and Yan Wanqiu definitely wouldn't agree."

Xie Chi sent the messages all at once, but waited a long time without getting a reply from Ji Chou.

He thought it over—his wife had been off work all night, and now that his wife was back in the kitchen, he must have plenty to deal with. Probably too busy to reply, so he didn't send any more messages to bother him.

Xie Chi changed his clothes, brought along a climate-controlled suit, and jotted down a nutrient solution recipe, just in case Yan Wanqiu gave him a hard time later.

Although outsiders thought this plan was his idea, whether or not Yan Wanqiu knew what really happened, any trouble he caused would ultimately fall on his wife.

Let's skip the whole process of using his wife to threaten him, him handing things over, or killing someone to ransom his wife. Just jump straight to him handing things over.

His wife was very skittish; doing this all the time would scare him.

Xie Chi finished getting ready, and the messenger arrived, so he didn't hesitate and headed straight for Yan Wanqiu's quarters.

The moment he stepped outside, Xie Chi was shocked by a snowdrift half his height in front of him.

If the previous Blizzard City still had patches of bare black rock, now it was pure white as far as the eye could see.

After a night of the cold snap, the temperature in Blizzard City had plummeted to 150 degrees below zero. Everything in sight was pure white, the only color coming from brightly dressed people.

As natives of Blizzard City, even without Xie Chi's climate-controlled suit, they could walk through the snow with ease—this was the result of a thousand years of adapting to survive.

The logistics team had broken into several squads, clearing snow from rooftops, using loaders to clear roads, and then flattening the ground with road rollers. The patrolling guards still stood ramrod straight.

Though there was no electricity, the camp had plenty of food and unlimited heating. Last night, Captain Xie had directed from the rear, Nie Huaiyi had immediately carried out the orders, and now Yan Wanqiu had returned safely. Most people didn't realize how severe the crisis had been, and the camp remained orderly.

This was how Yan Wanqiu had carved out a territory from nothing in this snowy expanse.

Xie Chi trudged through the snow, nervous and surprised, until he reached the quarters.

Yan Wanqiu's abilities were unquestionable, and his temper was just as unpredictable. Xie Chi still couldn't figure out why Yan Wanqiu would suddenly get angry, and this time it involved Ji Chou, so he had to be doubly careful.

He quietly pushed open the door to the hall.

Yan Wanqiu had just finished meeting Shi Peijue and was leaning back in his chair, half-asleep, his mind still mulling over various matters.

Earlier, when Shi Peijue saw him pull out the quantum gun, he had immediately dropped to the ground in a full prostration, lying face-down in terrified silence without daring to say a word.

Yan Wanqiu had explained the whole situation to him in exasperation, and only then did Shi Peijue shakily inspect the quantum gun for authenticity. After confirming it could be repaired, Yan Wanqiu sent him off to get it fixed.

With these hundred quantum guns in hand, all work would progress much more smoothly, but who should get them still needed consideration. You Fuzhu had cost him two bitter losses in a row, and he had to retaliate...

"Creak—"

Just then, a faint sound came from the doorway.

Yan Wanqiu looked up and met Xie Chi's gaze, as Xie Chi stood outside the door looking cautious.

Upon seeing him, Xie Chi immediately lowered his head respectfully: "Your Highness, would you like me to come in with my left foot first, or my right foot?"

Yan Wanqiu: "?"

Xie Chi said earnestly: "Your Highness, let's have a proper talk this time. Regarding last night's matter, if you have any questions, ask me first. I've brought some things you're definitely going to need. Can you please stop threatening me with my wife?"

Yan Wanqiu: "..."