Luo Ran got up early. He first went to the company to take care of some business, then headed to Xia Zhi’s place. He still had to make another trip to the research institute that afternoon.
Things weren’t going particularly smoothly on Xia Zhi’s end. Luo Ran’s mental power had still failed to make contact with the core, but there was no point in rushing things. Luo Ran decided to visit the research institute first, exchange information with the researchers, and follow up on their progress.
However, after stepping out of his aircraft, Luo Ran suddenly paused.
With his SSS-level mental power, his five senses were far more acute than those of an ordinary person.
At that moment, he sensed that… something was wrong.
Someone was following him.
Luo Ran had already sensed it while he was at Xia Zhi’s place. He had initially thought it was just his imagination, but if it were merely a false impression, it wouldn’t have persisted for so long.
After a brief pause, Luo Ran decided to act as though he hadn’t noticed anything and entered the research institute as if nothing were amiss.
Later, when he returned home, he discovered that the mysterious person had only followed him to his workplaces—the clinic where Xia Zhi practiced, the research institute, and the company. The moment Luo Ran headed home, the person stopped following him.
That made things quite clear. His pursuer wasn’t targeting him personally. Rather, they were after information about Lucas that Luo Ran might possess.
Luo Ran silently filed that away in his mind, planning to find an opportunity to flush the person out.
So the following day, on his way to Xia Zhi’s place, Luo Ran deliberately chose to walk instead of taking an aircraft.
Xia Zhi lived in the suburbs. As Luo Ran made his way there, he suddenly turned off the road and veered into a small patch of woods nearby.
He lightened his footsteps, and he could feel the person behind him following him into the woods.
…
A short, thin man hunched over as he made his way between the trees, secretly keeping Luo Ran in sight.
He was fairly agile. Holding his breath and keeping his footsteps light, he was confident that he wouldn’t be discovered.
Rustle…
But Luo Ran, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped. Then he turned a corner, moving rather quickly.
Afraid of losing him, the man hurried to catch up.
Luo Ran seemed to be heading in a strange direction. The man followed him around several bends, growing increasingly excited.
Sneaking off into the depths of the woods like this? How suspicious! There had to be a clue here!
Crack.
The man pushed aside a curtain of vines and rounded a corner, only to come face-to-face with the pitch-black opening of a gun barrel.
Luo Ran stood there, holding a handgun and smiling warmly at him. Half of his body was concealed in the shadows cast by the leaves.
The handsome, silver-haired man stood right at the boundary between light and shadow, pointing a gleaming black weapon straight at him.
“Hello there. I’ve finally caught you.”
The man’s legs nearly gave way.
“I… I…”
Luo Ran raised an eyebrow. “Young man, you’ve been following me for quite a while. Is there something you want?”
The man had originally thought that, since Luo Ran was alone, he could find an opportunity to fight him to the death.
But in the next instant, several aircraft approached from behind Luo Ran. They belonged to a small unit under Lucas’s command.
Only then did the man realize that he had been led into a trap.
He really had walked straight into a snare. Luo Ran had never intended to visit Xia Zhi in the first place.
The man was taken aboard an aircraft, locked in the cargo compartment, and interrogated.
“Secretary Luo, you’re impressive! Your movements are as agile as a soldier’s.” The team leader sat down beside Luo Ran with a cheerful smile. Watching him seize the opportunity to review official documents, he praised him, “Most people wouldn’t have the skill to lead someone following them around in circles until the pursuer ended up right in front of them.”
“You flatter me, Captain. I’ll leave the interrogation results to you.”
After speaking, however, Luo Ran began to feel a little dizzy.
He stared blankly ahead, his eyes growing hazy and unfocused.
It was probably because he had moved so quickly through the woods while keeping his mental power concentrated. Now, he was feeling the strain.
Luo Ran rubbed his temples, thinking that surely he wasn’t that frail.
“What’s wrong?” The team leader immediately noticed. “Secretary Luo, are you feeling unwell?”
“I’m fine.” Luo Ran took a nutritional supplement out of his briefcase. “I just need to rest for a bit.”
After watching the captain take the prisoner to the military headquarters, Luo Ran found himself alone in the aircraft. He reached up and touched the back of his neck.
Beneath the specially sewn fabric inside his collar was a raised spot—his vulnerable gland, which now felt rather hot.
Luo Ran suddenly remembered that his heat cycle was due in the next few days.
However, he had been using suppressants and scent-blocking sprays all along. If he truly couldn’t conceal his scent anymore, he still had incense and Lucas’s scent to help cover it up.
After thinking it over, Luo Ran quickly went to the company to collect some documents before heading straight home. He didn’t dare linger outside any longer.
During their heat cycles, Omegas became much weaker than usual. Even Luo Ran couldn’t escape the resulting fatigue.
Once home, Luo Ran stopped looking at official documents altogether. He took a hot shower and, for once, gave himself the rest of the day off. He climbed into his soft bed early and planned to relax by scrolling through his terminal before going to sleep.
Lucas’s coat lay beside the bed. Luo Ran had only just brought it home, and it still carried a faint scent of tobacco.
Snuggled beneath the covers, Luo Ran browsed videos. He watched cute cats and dogs, quick and easy recipes, food recommendations, and travel suggestions…
Afterward, he checked his social feed to see what was trending.
Luo Ran had noticed that Nina, Rong Duo, and the others seemed to spend a lot of time on the forums. To keep track of public opinion about Lucas across the Empire in real time—and make it easier to manage the narrative—he had not only created an account and joined the forums, but had also quietly followed Nina, Rong Duo, and several other lively, gossip-loving young women.
@Nana shared an article → [The Fierce General’s Darling]
Come and experience the joy of the nation’s favorite couple!
@A Flower shared an article → [The Fierce General’s Darling]
The General and His Secretary’s First Meeting! Their Sweet Romance Begins!
@Qiao Meili shared an article → [The Fierce General’s Darling]
Hmm, good read. (^v^)
Qiao Meili was the Marshal’s wife.
Luo Ran: “…”
What was the Marshal’s wife doing joining in on the gossip?!
To make sure the article was actually about him, Luo Ran clicked on it.
Oh.
It really was about him.
Luo Ran: “…”