A Panamera slowed as it entered the highway ramp exit, a few scattered cars visible, making their way under the stars and moon on the three o’clock morning highway.
Xia Jingtian was driving, yawning as he handed a bottle of water to the slender omega crouched in the passenger seat.
The omega was tense, curled up tightly, clutching the seatbelt. From beneath the patient gown, a small, stubby hamster tail protruded.
The hamster omega shakily took the water bottle from Xia Jingtian, struggling to twist it open. Failing, he hugged the bottle weakly and stared at his toes.
“So weak.” Xia Jingtian chuckled, took back the bottle, twisted the cap open single-handedly, and handed it back to the hamster omega.
The omega accepted it gratefully, whispering, “It’s because… I had to have surgery before, they injected me with a gland-suspension shot… I don’t… don’t have any strength.”
Xia Jingtian’s eyes flickered with disdain. “Why did Lu Shangjin have you switch glands?”
“Maybe… because our compatibility is high… he wanted his lover to be more compatible with him…” The small hamster hugged his delicate legs, bare feet showing white, plump toes like little soft rice cakes.
Xia Jingtian snorted.
“He paid me.” The hamster held the bottle, speaking softly. “My father ran off owing debts. My mother and I couldn’t withstand the pressure, so I took a job. Mr. Lu promised that if I gave him my glands, he would pay off all the debt—and even gave me an extra million.”
“Later… he said he wouldn’t do it. His lover didn’t want to.” The hamster omega lowered his head in disappointment. “He told me to wait for Mr. Xia to come pick me up.”
“Oh.” Xia Jingtian tilted his head and glanced at him. The omega curled up even smaller, probably trying not to dirty the expensive seat cushion.
A faint scent of cream lingered from him.
Similar to that little rabbit’s pheromones—no wonder their gland types matched.
The pretense of caring was just to make Yan Yi sacrifice and change for him. Lu Shangjin was a scumbag.
The hamster omega clutched his short, soft tail, quietly for a few dozen seconds, then mustered courage to ask tentatively, “Mr. Xia… will you… s-s-sponsor me…?”
Exiting the ramp, the traffic light turned red. Xia Jingtian braked sharply, and the small hamster clutched the seatbelt tightly, preventing himself from being jostled.
“Mr. Xia is my brother. My brother never lacks people around him.” Xia Jingtian lowered his gaze, flipping through his phone. Calls to Yan Yi went unanswered, messages vanished like stones sinking in water.
That little rabbit had never given him any hope from the start. Even with high compatibility, even with Lu Shangjin’s alternately cold and cruel treatment, there had been no chance.
The hamster felt his plea rejected. It was the first time he’d dared to ask someone for sponsorship—a humiliating request. His cheeks burned red, like a soft fried shrimp ball.
“I… I’m sorry… it’s my first time… I’ve never served a client before…” The hamster stammered anxiously. Xia Jingtian sighed and released calming pheromones. The hamster felt enveloped in safety, settling down, eyes bright and black, staring at Xia Jingtian.
Xia Jingtian tilted his body, lifting the hamster’s chin to study him closely.
Delicately sculpted eyelids, a pair of clear, glossy black eyes that seemed to hold a scoop of water.
He didn’t look like Yan Yi, but the scent was very similar.
In the middle of the drive, he took a call. His brother said he was at Anfia Hospital, something had happened, and asked Xia Jingtian to pick him up.
Rushing to the hospital, Xia Pingtian was already in the waiting hall, listening to several doctors report in rotation.
Xia Jingtian took the car keys and went closer to listen.
“The peregrine alpha baby sent a few days ago is currently stable, but due to complications with the mother, there may be impacts on the fetus. We need to observe for a while longer.”
Xia Pingtian instructed solemnly, “I don’t care how complicated it is. The one entrusting this child is not someone to be trifled with. This baby must survive. No mistakes, and seal all news. Act as if the child doesn’t exist; otherwise, I cannot guarantee your safety.”
Anfia Hospital was a gland-medical facility fully controlled by Xia Pingtian, taking only patients of specific statuses. Most doctors were old professors who had previously researched with Xia’s father.
Just after Xia Pingtian finished instructing, the sound of an ambulance came.
“Make way! Make way!”
“Emergency rescue!”
Nurses hurried in with a stretcher. On it lay an alpha, riddled with dagger wounds, a tactical dagger embedded just a centimeter from his gland. Whoever attacked clearly did not intend to kill him—otherwise, another centimeter off and he would be dead on the spot.
An alpha of Giant Horn Rhino M2 type reduced to this near-death state bore a PBB serial stamp on his head. No one knew who had the skill or backing to openly challenge the Pacific Biogen Differentiation Base.
Xia Pingtian froze, stepping aside into the stairwell to call Lu Shangjin. After a few rings with no answer, he impatiently lit a cigarette.
Xia Jingtian approached, seeing his brother on the phone, raising a finger to his lips to signal him to stay quiet.
“Pingtian.” Lu Shangjin’s voice was hoarse, likely after a fight and significant pheromone expenditure.
“Was the Rhino alpha pushed in just now by you?” Xia Pingtian lowered his voice. “You even handle PBB people… don’t you like trouble?”
“Also, your son’s alive and I had them take care of him.”
Lu Shangjin sighed. “That’s not my son. I can’t explain it now. I’ll take you to dinner when you get back.”
A faint, soft whimper came through the line. Lu Shangjin had soothed it before continuing.
Even just a single trailing sound, Xia Jingtian recognized it as Yan Yi’s voice.
A surge of uncontrollable anger erupted in Xia Jingtian. He snatched his brother’s phone, shouting into the receiver: “Lu, what have you done to him?!”
What if Lu Shangjin discovered Yan Yi’s current false pregnancy, linked to another alpha? Knowing Lu Shangjin, what would he do?
Lu Shangjin paused, then soothed the little rabbit in bed.
Xia Pingtian snatched back the phone, pinned Xia Jingtian in the corner, pressing a hand against the back of his neck’s gland so he couldn’t struggle, listening to Lu Shangjin’s exhausted voice: “Take care of your brother.”
“Fine, hang up, hang up.” Xia Pingtian hurriedly ended the call, then glared fiercely at Xia Jingtian. He raised a hand to slap him, hesitating mid-air.
“I like him, is that not allowed?” Xia Jingtian stood his ground, looking him in the eye. “You want to hit me over a scumbag?”
“You… I can’t manage you. This weekend, I’ll have Dad break your legs.” Xia Pingtian calmed down, walking off, leaving Xia Jingtian alone.
Outside the hospital, Xia Pingtian got into the back seat, waiting for Xia Jingtian to drive.
But Xia Jingtian didn’t approach the car. He walked off alone.
The little hamster in the passenger seat waited a long time before seeing Xia Jingtian emerge. His mood seemed sour; he turned to leave.
Without hesitation, the small hamster ran off the car in his patient gown, chasing after him.
Leaving Xia Pingtian alone, sulking in the back seat, smoking.
Xia Jingtian walked alone in the night, the sound of the whimper from the call replaying in his mind.
“Mr. Xia… Mr. Xia…”
Someone called behind him. Xia Jingtian glanced back. The small hamster, bare-footed, had chased him a long way. The oversized patient gown made him look fragile, like a cloth doll in adult clothing. His hands were too short to reach the sleeves.
Seeing Xia Jingtian pause for him, the hamster ran hurriedly over, eyes wide, black, and round. “Did you argue with Mr. Xia?”
His fair little toes had been scraped red by stones on the ground, softly rubbing his foot across the top, the short, soft hamster tail tucked tremblingly.
“Damn, I really give up on you. I’m already annoyed enough.” Xia Jingtian ran his hands through his hair in frustration, scooped up the tiny hamster, brushing off the small stones stuck to his feet.
——
Lu Shangjin settled Yan Yi in the ruined bar’s second-floor bedroom, quickly showering to wash off blood and other alphas’ pheromones. He disliked any stray scents clinging to him.
It’s hard to fake indifference. When he could watch his lover ignored, treated as air while being intimate with others, some things couldn’t be undone.
In a bathrobe, he climbed into bed, wrapping Yan Yi from behind, releasing the remaining calming pheromones.
The glands act like an energy storage system; excessive use can deplete them, requiring recovery time. Constant depletion causes bodily damage.
But Lu Shangjin released endlessly, pulling the anxious little rabbit into his embrace, letting him feel security, perhaps tinged with guilt.
At first, Yan Yi resisted, but gradually softened in the room filled with pheromones. His slightly open collar revealed an old cyan-blue stamp on his chest:
PBB, serial number 000002.
Lu Shangjin held him close, letting him nestle against his shoulder, freeing his hands to unwrap the bandages on Yan Yi’s arms and hands.
With each layer removed, numerous swollen, bruised injection marks appeared—traces of the heat-suppression medication.
“Sorry…” Lu Shangjin murmured, touching the swollen arm, pressing a kiss to his ear.
——
Yan Yi slept through the night, body exhausted but, for once, resting deeply, dreaming of being accompanied by the alpha he liked.
Sunlight filtered through the small window’s sheer curtain, gently warming him. He crawled up, scratched the base of his tail, and slowly opened his eyes.
Lu Shangjin emerged from the bathroom in a bathrobe, chest partially exposed, water droplets running along the muscles under the robe.
Yan Yi froze, staring.
“You’re awake?” Lu Shangjin lifted a hand to touch his face.
Startled, Yan Yi recoiled, retreating to the corner to shield his abdomen, cautious and confused.
Lu Shangjin approached. Yan Yi tried to back away again, but Lu Shangjin gripped his wrist, pulling him into a tight embrace.
“Don’t…” Yan Yi’s nose turned red, nostrils twitching rapidly. He panted like a wild rabbit caught by a hunter, shivering in despair.
Lu Shangjin’s nose brushed against his neck, softly releasing calming pheromones, gently stroking Yan Yi’s little rabbit ears, helping him settle.
“Don’t be afraid of me, Yan Yan. I didn’t do anything.”