Forcibly Marked by My Fiancé’s Best Friend - Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Lian Xu was the first to react, intimately hooking his arm through He Yu’s, looking every bit like a couple. However, as an Omega with little experience, his attempt to project the ease of a long-time spouse came across as stiff and impractical.

At a single glance, they looked more like a fake couple than intimate lovers who had been together for years.

The corners of He Yu’s mouth curled up. His fingertips brushed against Lian Xu’s waist before he reached up to rub the crown of the Omega’s head, gently pulling away the hand that was clutching his arm.

“Wife, let me support you.” As the words fell, he turned to the white-haired man with a smile. “Forgive us; my rut has arrived, and I’ve put him through quite a lot these past few days.”

The white-haired man stared at He Yu, his gaze so piercing it seemed he wanted to bore a hole through the Alpha’s forehead. After a few seconds, his tightly knitted brows suddenly relaxed, and he said meaningfully, “Understandable. Madam should focus on resting.”

“The banquet is about to begin. Please, both of you, follow me.”

The white-haired man successfully bluffed and led the way forward.

Fia, meanwhile, returned to her “Mom and Dad’s” side, accompanying them toward the banquet.

As they walked, He Yu suddenly stopped. His arm tightened abruptly, hauling the forward-walking Lian Xu back into his embrace and giving his face a rough rub. Then, before Lian Xu could react, he stole a swift peck on the lips.

“Wife, mind your body, don’t walk so fast.” Yu leaned half-weight against the stair railing, holding Lian Xu tightly. When the white-haired man looked back, He Yu immediately looked up and kissed the Omega’s Adam’s apple.

Disinclined to participate in their public display of affection, the white-haired man quickly turned his head back.

Lian Xu pinched the Alpha’s thigh hard: “Stop acting crazy all of a sudden.”

He Yu replied with a wrong expression, “This time, the rut really is here.”

?!

Lian Xu’s pupils trembled.

How could it happen right now?!

“Endure it. We’ll leave as soon as I get the item.”

The corners of He Yu’s eyes were turning red. He gripped Lian Xu’s arm tightly, refusing to let go, his breathing gradually becoming heavy. “What item?”

“The laboratory keys. Fia said the base commander carries them at all times.” Worried about being overheard, Lian Xu pressed himself close to He Yu; the two were almost inseparable.

“How are we going to get them? We can’t even get close,” He Yu asked.

There was always a way, but it would require a small sacrifice.

Lian Xu didn’t share his plan, only telling He Yu to hold on a little longer.

Yu held Lian Xu’s waist, his scorching breath fanning over the Omega’s head. Beneath his scent-blocking patch, his gland had swollen into a small lump.

The banquet hall was growing more crowded, and Lian Xu urged He Yu to get up quickly. But the Alpha was deaf to his pleas; at this moment, his eyes held nothing but this bewildered Omega.

“Wife…”

Yu’s chest felt tight. Here he was, intimately calling Lian Xu “wife,” yet the Omega’s heart had long belonged to someone else—he was willing to do anything just to marry the Prime Minister of the Cabinet. Sometimes, He Yu couldn’t help but wonder what Lian Xu actually liked about Yin Zhuo—was it the supreme power, or something else?

He could never grasp the other man’s preferences, nor could he capture his heart.

“Hey Yu, calm down!” Lian Xu was pinned against the Alpha’s firm chest, unable to move.

He Yu’s palms rubbed repeatedly against the small of Lian Xu’s back. In the middle of the crowd, the two embraced tightly, and pheromones poured out uncontrollably, drenching the Omega.

“Don’t… not here,” Lian Xu whispered.

He had never seen He Yu during a rut and hadn’t expected him to be so difficult to control. His shoulders were locked in a hug so tight his bones felt like they might snap. A burning heat transferred through their bodies, searing from the outside into his heart. Despite the blocking patch on the back of his neck, it felt as though it was being soaked by the condensed dew of white camellias, forced inside him.

The crowd grew, and the sounds of conversation rose and fell. He Yu heard nothing, pinning Lian Xu firmly. His remaining shreds of sanity allowed him to grab the Omega’s wrist and lead him into a vacant but secluded room. The door was slammed shut, and the darkness cut off all outside noise.

A powerful physique pressed the Omega to the ground. White camellia scents poured out continuously, firmly enveloping the scent of cedar. Clothes became disheveled; breathing turned heavy. In the dim room, it was unclear who started it, but pheromones exploded alongside a forceful kiss.

“He Yu… calm down…” Lian Xu’s words were drowned out by the wet kiss.

The Omega felt like he was drowning, unable to breathe or struggle.

“Wife… Wife!” Yu squeezed Lian Xu’s thigh, as frantic as an ant on a hot griddle. His tongue swept through Lian Xu’s mouth, and through the messy layers of clothing, he thrust with chaotic urgency. “Don’t marry him, okay?”

In his memory, He Yu had mentioned “not marrying Yin Zhuo” more than once.

But every time, it had been laced with a joking tone that made him uncomfortable.

Was he acting on a whim, or did he have a hidden motive? Lian Xu didn’t know, and he didn’t dare guess. The path ahead was blurred; he didn’t even know if he could make it out alive.

How could he dare to gamble with an unrelated life?

As far back as that explosion, he should have cut off all unrealistic thoughts.

But humans are selfish.

Regret occupied his heart, and nightmares accompanied every grueling night. When he saw He Yu appear before him whole and sound, he instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

That Alpha had survived the explosion, but the Alpha who once called him beautiful and vowed to marry him had long since forgotten that promise.

This is for the best, Lian Xu thought. He could do what he needed to do without any burden, heading toward death without lingering attachments.

But even this small selfish wish could not be granted. The Alpha just had to develop an interest in him—approaching him, provoking him, protecting him.

Lian Xu, unable to distinguish between fake intent and sincerity, lost himself amidst those repeated calls of “baby.”

Lian Xu gripped He Yu’s shoulders, flipped over to press him down, and guided the Alpha’s hand into his clothes, releasing pheromones to soothe the agitated state.

“He Yu, calm down. At least don’t cause trouble now. When we get back, I’ll promise you whatever you want to do.”

He coaxed the Alpha into calmness.

The two highly compatible pheromones merged smoothly, and the Alpha clearly became less violent. Yu’s movements gradually slowed, his hands gently rubbing the Omega’s abdomen. His eyes hadn’t yet cleared, and he relied purely on muscle memory to drive the Omega into a sweaty, breathless state.

Lian Xu stroked the Alpha’s face, tracing the contours of his features, his tone carrying a sense of reckless desperation: “If you dare to trick me again, I’ll make sure you and Yin Zhuo die together!”

“Wife…” He Yu called out aggrievedly, “Don’t leave.”

Lian Xu suddenly stood up with cold eyes and tidied his clothes. He searched the Alpha, found two scent-blocking patches, and applied them to both of them.

“Don’t you dare roll out of here until you’ve recovered.”

With that, Lian Xu slammed the door and left. The Alpha was left lying on the floor, his mind in a chaotic haze. It felt as though he had just woken from a long, beautiful dream—a dream where he and Lian Xu were one, their pheromones intertwined and intimate. He chuckled; it was indeed beautiful, though a pity he couldn’t hold on until the very end.

When Lian Xu emerged, Fia was standing obediently by the door.

“Brother Lian Xu.”

Lian Xu was startled: “Fia, why are you here?”

“I was afraid someone would come by, so I stayed here to keep watch. How is that brother doing?”

“He’s fine.” Lian Xu suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment.

It was all He Yu’s fault; he had forgotten Fia was even there. This was hardly a good example—what if he influenced Fia negatively?

Lian Xu rubbed the top of Fia’s head and praised her: “You did well. Thank you, Fia.”

Fia smiled shyly after being praised.

It had been a long time since anyone had complimented her.

“Brother, the Leader is coming.”

“The Leader?”

Fia nodded: “The head of the base. He is also the Leader of the Desolate Star.”

Lian Xu understood. He glanced at the closed room and led Fia away.

The crowd gathered to celebrate the successful development of the Recovery Potion.

“Fantastic! With this potion, those people in the test tubes can finally wake up!”

“We owe this all to the Leader!”

The crowd began to bow down to the Leader.

The Leader sat on a high platform, looking down at the base members who were surrendering to him. Suddenly, he noticed two unfamiliar faces standing tall amidst the kneeling crowd.

The Leader crooked his finger: “Who are you two?”

“Who are you?” The crowd turned as one, staring at Lian Xu and Fia with dull, soulless black eyes.

Fia tilted her head and said, “I’m Fia. Doesn’t Uncle Leader remember me?”

Upon hearing this, everyone’s eyes widened.

“Fia! You’re not dead?!”

The Leader was also stunned. He stepped down from the platform and scrutinized Fia. His expression suddenly tightened: “You are Fia!”

“Then you are…” The Leader turned his gaze toward Lian Xu. “Doctor!”

“Dr. Fu, you’re alive too!”

Lian Xu narrowed his eyes.

The man before him gave off a very eerie feeling. His eyes, his tone, and his movements all had a hair-raising sense of dissonance. Before this, the only thing that had made him this uneasy was the walking corpse that had clawed his shoulder.

Fia grabbed Lian Xu’s small hand and said excitedly, “Daddy, let’s go. The Leader has been looking forward to seeing you!”

Looking forward to it?

Lian Xu questioned her with his eyes.

Fia nodded: “Daddy, did you forget? You were the one who researched the Recovery Potion!”

Lian Xu: “…”

Fia’s palm had been cold at first, but now it was becoming very hot. Lian Xu closed his eyes, momentarily dazed. He remembered… he remembered coming to the Desolate Star for a mission.

What was the mission…

“Daddy, let’s hurry. Everyone is waiting for you!”

Lian Xu stared blankly at Fia, finding the child before him strangely familiar. “Okay… okay…”

His reactions were sluggish, but it didn’t stop him from being led by Fia into the secret laboratory. A line of people followed behind him, including the Leader.

“Doctor! Are you going to show us now?”

“Doctor, you truly are the greatest human on the Desolate Star!”

“Thanks to the Doctor, we are saved!”

“Doctor… Doctor…”

BOOM—

The base shook violently.

The base was buried underground; such a massive disturbance could only mean something had happened on the surface. But at this critical moment, no one went out to investigate.

Fia frowned and took the hand of an Omega lying flat on a bed surrounded by countless instruments.

“Daddy, we will never be apart again.”

Daddy… who is that?

Lian Xu’s eyes were hollow, staring straight at the ceiling.

“Daddy, when I grow up, I want to be just like you—the most powerful soldier, protecting the planet!”

A man whose face was blurred smiled kindly: “Good, our Lian Xu will definitely be the most outstanding soldier!”

“The child is still small, why are you telling him these things?” a woman complained.

The man disagreed with his wife: “A qualified soldier must be trained from a young age! Our Lian Xu is the best; he’ll definitely be better than me, stronger than that little waste.”

In a dark corner, a skeletal boy crawled on the ground, picking up filthy food and swallowing it in large gulps…

“Daddy, these are all nightmares. Don’t think about them.” Fia pressed her palm to Lian Xu’s forehead. “You and I are the real family. They are just the bad people in the dreams.”

Lian Xu murmured: “Bad people…”

BOOM—

Another deafening explosion.

The originally quiet and inconspicuous wasteland had somehow drawn trouble today, with one explosion following another. Fia frowned deeply, her grip on Lian Xu’s hand tightening as she commanded those nearby: “Go up and look. If someone is making trouble, kill them.”