After the Divorce, I Went Back to My Hometown, Pregnant and Became the Sheriff - Chapter 8

Jiang Xu could no longer remember how he made it back to his apartment complex. His hands shook as he pushed open the main door of the staff dormitory.

The motion-sensor light in the hallway had been broken for nearly a month. Because he rarely arrived home this late, he had never realized just how pitch-black the stairwell could be.

He climbed the stairs with heavy steps. His uniform trousers were soaked, clinging to the skin of his thighs. With every step, the coarse fabric rubbed against him; it felt like an endless form of torture.

Jiang Xu trembled, tilting his head back to exhale a ragged breath. It was only a three-story climb, yet it felt as though he would never reach the end.

From behind him came the harsh creak of the iron gate opening and closing, followed by the sound of clear, sharp footsteps.

Someone was coming.

Dammit. In this state, if I’m seen…

His legs refused to cooperate. Behind him, the footsteps clicked closer. Hard soles ground against the dust and grit of the old stairs, creating a jarring, grating noise that made his spine tingle.

“Jiang Xu, is that you?”

A clear, youthful voice slid down Jiang Xu’s shivering back. Despite his knees knocking together, he gritted his teeth and gripped the rusted railing, trying to crawl further up.

But the stairwell was too dark. In his panic, Jiang Xu missed a step and collapsed to the floor.

“Ah, so you are here.”

In the murky light, he could only see He Xianxing’s face hidden in the shadows, illuminated faintly by the chaotic moonlight filtering through the window.

“Why did you come back alone? I’ve been looking for you.”

Jiang Xu’s heavy breathing echoed in the dilapidated stairwell. “He… Xianxing…” he muttered, before He Xianxing grabbed his wrist and pulled him up.

“How did you fall? I told the Chief Inspector and the others that you weren’t feeling well and that I’d take you home. But when I went to the restroom, you were already…”

The voice trailed off. He Xianxing looked at Jiang Xu, who was now pressed against the wall. The officer’s handsome face was flushed with an unnatural heat, his usually distant eyes swirling with desire.

“Jiang Xu,” He Xianxing spoke slowly, “what are you doing?”

Jiang Xu bit his lip and looked up. At such close range, he could see his own reflection in He Xianxing’s bright pupils. The scent of sweet cocoa swirled around his nose. Jiang Xu couldn’t help but lean forward; the scent carried a faint hint of alcohol that burned through his logic like a flame.

At this moment, the Alpha’s pheromones were an irresistible temptation.

“Do you need my help?” He Xianxing smiled playfully. “What should I do?”

“Don’t move.” Jiang Xu’s voice was unsteady as he reached out.

He Xianxing’s breathing grew heavy in his ear.

Since parting ways with Shen Yucheng, Jiang Xu had not had a partner. He took regular doses of suppressants, and combined with the exhaustion of raising a child alone, he had almost forgotten this primal urge.

“Jiang Xu,” He Xianxing whispered his name against the wall, his innocent face leaning close to Jiang Xu’s ear. “Do you want to go home?”

Warm lips brushed against Jiang Xu’s cheek, the heat making him pull back his neck instinctively. “No,” he trembled in refusal. “Tongtong is asleep.”

He Xianxing kissed him, his lips as fervent as a sudden storm. Jiang Xu’s legs gave out, and he was quickly pinned against the rough wall.

Unrestrained pheromones flooded the dry air, making them forget they were in the middle of a cold winter.

“Hurry…” Jiang Xu urged haphazardly.

He Xianxing kneaded the firm muscle. Jiang Xu didn’t cry out in pain; his tall frame simply swayed, shaking uncontrollably. Just as he was about to slide down the wall, He Xianxing stepped in, wedging a leg between Jiang Xu’s thighs. “Can you still stand?” he asked.

Jiang Xu gripped the front of He Xianxing’s shirt, shaking his head weakly as he slumped onto the propped-up knee.

He Xianxing’s trouser leg was soaked through.

“Come to my place.” He turned his head to brush away the sweat from Jiang Xu’s face. His voice was thick with desire, sounding enchanting in the dark night.

He Xianxing and Jiang Xu were neighbors, and their apartment layouts were nearly identical. Once inside, they fumbled through the darkness toward the bedroom.

Jiang Xu pushed He Xianxing onto the bed and leaned in.

He Xianxing reached out to cup the back of Jiang Xu’s neck. A thick fragrance drifted from the skin there, smelling like overripe berries; rich and full, as if the slightest pressure from his fingers would cause the juice to spray everywhere.

The man’s broken gasps and practiced movements made He Xianxing mutter a few curses, but Jiang Xu was deaf to the profanity. In the small staff room, the soft sounds of their encounter echoed continuously.

He Xianxing pressed his fingers down wickedly, his neatly trimmed nails scratching the skin over the glands on Jiang Xu’s neck, leaving several raised red marks.

Only when the pain became too much did Jiang Xu tilt his head back. “Don’t touch that…” There was a hint of warning in his voice, but it had little effect. Fluid splashed, hitting his eye. He closed his eyes briefly, the old scar on his eyelid looking particularly prominent in the night.

“Sorry, I’m just surprised you’re an Omega.” He Xianxing’s hand moved to Jiang Xu’s waist; it was hard to tell if his apology was genuine.

His hand lingered in the deep curve of Jiang Xu’s lower back, where the muscles were elastic and twitching slightly with every breath.

“Sit up a bit?” He Xianxing said, half-pulling Jiang Xu forward. He pressed down with both hands, forcing their bodies closer together.

Jiang Xu seemed used to this and didn’t react much, resting on He Xianxing’s shoulder while letting the other man have his way.

He Xianxing looked down at the face that was still trying to maintain its composure. Only the parted lips betrayed a few low moans. Jiang Xu’s lip line was sharp and severe; seeing him like this, gasping and moaning intermittently, had a unique charm.

He Xianxing kissed Jiang Xu from his sweaty temple to his cheek, then moved to the edge of his lips before finally claiming them.

“Officer Jiang Xu,” He Xianxing teased breathlessly, “will you even be able to wear these trousers again?”

As he spoke, he pressed his fingertips down harder.

Jiang Xu let out a low cry and instinctively tried to back away, but he was held firmly in place.

“Where are you going?”

The cold inquiry made Jiang Xu look up in shock. He Xianxing’s usually gentle eyes were flashing with a fierce light. He felt like he didn’t know this version of He Xianxing, but the look quickly vanished, returning to the familiar gaze.

He Xianxing looked down at him. “Just how many times… did Shen Yucheng do this to you?”

Jiang Xu turned his face away, gasping, placing a hand over his eyes to cover them. “Stop asking so many questions.”

“Haha, sorry.” He Xianxing chuckled softly but suddenly stopped his movements.

Jiang Xu moved the back of his hand and glanced over. He Xianxing wore a shy smile; his slightly round eyes made him look quite cute when he smiled like that. “Jiang Xu, actually, this is my first time.”

Jiang Xu frowned. “You don’t need to tell me that.”

“No, what I mean is,” He Xianxing leaned down and kissed the tip of Jiang Xu’s ear, whispering, “I don’t have any condoms at home.”

Jiang Xu took an exasperated breath. “Forget about that.”

He Xianxing laughed. “Alright.”

It was well past midnight when the desire finally faded.

Jiang Xu propped himself up, not quite remembering when he had fallen asleep. The sticky dampness on his body had vanished. He glanced at He Xianxing, who was sleeping peacefully beside him, then picked up his scattered shirt and draped it over his shoulders.

“Leaving already?” He Xianxing mumbled from behind him.

“Yeah.” Jiang Xu stepped onto the floor, but a bare arm hooked around his waist. “It’s late. Why not sleep here?” He Xianxing sat up and rested his head on Jiang Xu’s shoulder, his eyes half-closed with sleep.

“Tongtong is home alone. It’s not good.” Jiang Xu pulled He Xianxing’s arm away. He Xianxing grabbed Jiang Xu’s chin as if to kiss him, but was brushed off.

“Ah, how heartless.” There was no real resentment in his voice. “Did I hurt you? You were crying out so loud at the end. Are you mad at me?”

“No.” Jiang Xu pushed him away. “I just don’t think we need to keep doing this after getting out of bed.”

“Hmm, fair point.” He Xianxing climbed up and turned on a small nightlight. The soft glow illuminated his chestnut hair. He sat back against the headboard and lit a cigarette. “After all, now that Team Leader Shen is here, we should keep up appearances. Haha, it’s like an affair. How exciting, Jiang Xu.”

Jiang Xu rolled his eyes, unable to believe such words came from a public servant.

He picked up his trousers. He Xianxing’s gaze swept over the red finger marks still visible on Jiang Xu’s skin. He exhaled a puff of smoke. “For the school fair at the end of the month, do you still want me to pretend to be Tongtong’s mom? It would be better for the real parents to go, wouldn’t it?”

After a silence, Jiang Xu hesitated but eventually said, “Shen Yucheng… he doesn’t know about Tongtong yet.”

He Xianxing was stunned. He blinked, then rolled over to lean on the edge of the bed. “Hey, Jiang Xu,” he kicked his legs up like a child, swinging them in the air, “Team Leader Shen doesn’t even know you’re an Omega, does he?”

Jiang Xu looked down at him. “What if he doesn’t?”

He Xianxing acted as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, clutching his stomach and rolling around the bed in laughter.

“Watch your cigarette,” Jiang Xu reminded him.

“Hahahaha!” He Xianxing obediently stubbed out the cigarette. “By the way, how long were you married?”

“Two years.”

“Two years?” He Xianxing’s smile was bright. “How did Team Leader Shen get to his position? He’s incredibly dense.”

Jiang Xu laughed softly. “It’s more like… because he reached that position, he never truly paid attention to the people around him.”

“I really don’t know how you two quiet types ended up together.”

“Yeah, I can’t remember either.” Jiang Xu put on his jacket and opened the bedroom door. “I’m going home. Thanks for today.”

“Wait, Jiang Xu.”

Jiang Xu turned back. He Xianxing curved his beautiful eyes, his long, curled lashes fluttering. “Next time, I’ll buy the condoms beforehand!”

His tone was full of energy, as if he were simply telling Jiang Xu what he wanted for breakfast.

Back in his own home, Jiang Xu sat alone in the living room, trying to organize his thoughts. So much had happened that it felt like a dream.

Shen Yucheng had returned to the country, sent by S-City to G-City to investigate a case—the very kidnapping case that had been left unresolved years ago. Was a case from the General Administration of Integrity really going to involve the tiny G-City legal system? What was the real play here?

The old wound on his right eyelid throbbed. That phantom pain had tortured him through many nights over the last five years.

The image of a small, cold body in his arms flickered in his mind, along with the blood mixed with brain matter that he could never seem to wipe clean.

He had given up everything, yet Shen Yucheng was here to tear it all open again.

Shen Yucheng…

Jiang Xu tucked his face into the collar of his jacket. His infatuation and impulse toward that man had long since been eroded by those five years. Now, Shen Yucheng’s reappearance only served to remind him of the past remind him that he was nothing more than a cowardly killer.

He looked up, staring into the pitch-black night for a long time. His body, following the indulgence, ached dully.

A beam of orange light hit the ceiling. He snapped back to his senses and looked toward the source.

“Daddy…” Tongtong stood by the door, tilting his head. Under the light, his blue eyes were misty. “You came home so late today.”

Jiang Xu stood up and walked over. Tongtong reached up with soft arms, and Jiang Xu picked him up. “I’m sorry, Daddy came home late. Was Tongtong a good boy at kindergarten today?”

“Super good.” Tongtong closed his eyes, resting his face against Jiang Xu’s broad shoulder.

Holding the exhausted Tongtong, Jiang Xu paced back and forth in the small living room, gently swaying his body as he used to do when rocking him to sleep as a baby.

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