Older Brother - Chapter 28

42.

As the son of Congressman Bai, Bai You was all too familiar with how his father combined extreme promiscuity and narcissism with an absolute need for control.

This environment had turned almost all of his children into various types of neurotics. Even the old butler serving the Bai family had been tormented to the point of breaking, which was why he had turned traitor so decisively.

Fu Yu was only five years old when he was brought back to the Bai family.

A five-year-old child had just witnessed his family being wiped out by Central Star’s elite as easily as brushing away dust, only to then be subjected to a memory-wiping procedure.

Judging by the final outcome, the memory-wiping had failed.

Consequently, from the age of five until he was finally able to leave the Bai family for the military academy at sixteen, Fu Yu had spent eleven years suppressing his blood-stained hatred. He had played the part of the perfect, refined foster son before Bai You’s father without a single slip-up.

It was a miracle Fu Yu hadn’t turned into a complete madman.

Though, Bai You felt he wasn’t far from it.

The wind on the deck was biting, and Bai You was indeed cold, so he didn’t push Fu Yu away. He stood with his arms crossed, shooting a cool, indifferent glance at the Alpha who had rushed over.

“You two seemed to be having a lovely chat. What were you talking about?” Fu Yu’s hand rested on Bai You’s shoulder, but his gaze was fixed on Carson with a subtle, warning edge.

Carson finished his wine and casually tossed the glass over the side of the deck. His tone was innocent. “Don’t be so tense, Mr. L. You know I’ve never had any interest in touching other people’s property. We were just chatting.”

The moment Carson left, Fu Yu looked down at Bai You. He was smiling as usual, but there was no warmth in his eyes. “Brother, why do you always get mixed up with troublesome people? Carson is a—”

Bai You was already annoyed by the word “property.” With an icy chill settling between his brows, he glanced toward where Carson had tossed the glass and finished coldly: “…a guy with no manners.”

Bai You placed his untouched glass back onto a passing waiter’s tray. He intended to leave, but Fu Yu took hold of him and began leading him toward the cabin. “Darling, since we’re already here, let’s have a dance.”

The young Alpha wore a mask, his frame tall and imposing like an elegant gentleman, as he gallantly offered his hand.

Bai You had no interest in dancing, but the “gentleman” was blocking his path. After a long moment, Bai You took a deep breath and placed his hand in Fu Yu’s.

Fu Yu led him into the dance floor with a satisfied air. After the first dance ended, Bai You thought his partner’s whims had been satisfied, but Fu Yu didn’t let him go. His fingers—unusually scorching gripped Bai You’s waist, and as the music changed, he began a second dance.

Bai You tried to pull away, but his waist was gripped and pulled back. Losing his patience, he snapped, “If you love dancing this much, find another partner.”

Fu Yu didn’t answer. He lowered his head until their noses nearly touched. Through the mask, Bai You could feel the Alpha’s intense, focused stare. After a long time, he finally spoke. His pace was slow, yet a rare spark of genuine emotion flickered in his voice: “You danced twice with Tang Xu.”

Bai You went still.

Fu Yu slowly repeated himself, like a persistent, brooding accusation: “You danced with him twice.”

As he spoke, he irritably bumped his shoulder against Bai You’s. Then, pressing against the upright collar of Bai You’s shirt, he nipped at the side of his neck with a surge of raw desire.

In the massive, luxurious ballroom, the band played beautiful melodies, but the scene around them was anything but elegant. Masked guests were reveling in a chaotic, hedonistic frenzy, letting their darkest desires run wild.

Having noticed Fu Yu’s abnormal state, Bai You suddenly caught the scent of his pheromones. It was the polar opposite of the gentlemanly facade Fu Yu was maintaining: a choking, fiery scent like a massive conflagration scorching like lava, searing like a blaze.

His lips moved, about to say something, when a gunshot shattered the peace.

The lights suddenly went out, followed by a chorus of screams. The magnificent chandeliers overhead died, plunging the cruise ship into darkness. Panic-stricken tourists abandoned their grace and surged toward the deck in a frantic swarm.

However, a desperate cry soon rang out: “The doors are locked!”

Everything happened too fast and too chaotically. Bai You couldn’t see a thing; he could only smell the thick scent of blood. The crowd was like a churning flood, pushing and shoving in every direction. He couldn’t keep his footing, but just before he fell, a hand suddenly tightened around his waist. He was yanked back and pressed into a steady, solid embrace, which guided him through the frantic crowd to a slightly quieter spot.

Hidden soldiers nearby swarmed around them, acting as a shield. One spoke rapidly: “Colonel, something is wrong. Space pirates have infiltrated and launched an attack!”

Fu Yu dragged Bai You behind a pillar. Leaning down in the faint moonlight, Bai You saw him quickly slide a ring off his own finger and slide it perfectly onto Bai You’s hand. In a flash of his usual perverse playfulness, he slid it onto Bai You’s slender ring finger. He rubbed his thumb against Bai You’s knuckle and let out a roguish chuckle. “Brother, will you accept my proposal?”

The soldiers protecting them heard this and, likely guessing what Fu Yu had given him, blurted out: “Colonel?!”

“This area is secluded and safe. You few stay here and protect him.”

Fu Yu’s smile vanished. When he wasn’t deliberately acting charming, his voice was naturally cold as ice. As a top-tier Alpha, he possessed excellent night vision. He scanned the room rapidly and ordered: “There won’t be too many pirates. Flush them out one by one. Follow me.”

Listening to their exchange, Bai You pieced together what was happening.

The coordinates of this planet were hidden; it was a gray-market zone similar to the underground black market, where dignitaries from various nations came incognito for shady business.

The space pirates’ raid was either to assassinate a target or to take this entire nest of hostages to use as leverage in negotiations with the various governments or perhaps both.

And the man who had clashed with space pirates more than anyone else—the man they hated enough to put a 100-million-credit bounty on his head.

The ring on his finger still carried Fu Yu’s body heat, much like the black monitor still locked around his ankle.

Bai You slowly rubbed the ring twice and glanced at the back of Fu Yu’s head.

He was quite short on cash lately.

However, after a moment, Bai You chose to stay quietly in the safe zone and wait for Fu Yu’s return. He asked flatly, “What is this ring?”

The Beta soldiers, who were used to him treating them like air, were stunned for a second before answering hesitantly: “It’s a defensive device the R&D department just finished. Only a few were made. The Colonel got one; it can block a certain amount of gunfire.”

In this emergency, the significance of the ring was obvious.

And yet, Fu Yu had given it to Bai You without a second thought.

The soldiers exchanged complex looks before drawing closer to Bai You, remembering their duty to protect him.

Bai You unconsciously gripped the ring, his lips moving as if to speak, but he remained silent. In the next instant, the soldier to his left let out a muffled groan and collapsed. The other soldiers panicked and lunged forward to shield Bai You.

In that split second, Bai You spun around and delivered a vicious kick, knocking the soldier out of the path of fire. A bullet from an unknown direction grazed the soldier’s face. When it hit Bai You, the ring glowed, projecting a barrier that deflected the shot.

The soldier broke out in a cold sweat. “…Thank you.”

Bai You’s back was also damp with sweat. He quickly fumbled for the fallen soldier’s sidearm and said coldly, “Focus on yourselves. Check the wounded.”

Fortunately, the fallen soldier had only been hit in the shoulder and was only temporarily incapacitated.

The ballroom was a mess of chaos and continuous gunfire. Because the doors were locked, every shot was met with higher-pitched screams and cries. There was no order, and it was becoming harder to identify the pirates in the dark.

But Bai You had seen exactly where the muzzle flash had appeared when the shot was fired.

The pirate had clearly found their position and was still trying to fire. Bai You felt the ring on his finger grow hot, and several cracks appeared on its surface. The barrier was wavering; it wouldn’t last much longer.

His marksmanship was average. He spoke in a low voice to the soldiers: “The pirate will be hiding in a fixed high position. I saw where the fire came from. Fire in that direction together. Use me as a shield while we move to a safer spot.”

His voice possessed a commanding calmness. The soldiers immediately obeyed, firing toward the direction Bai You indicated a loud thud followed as someone hit the floor. They had got him.

Bai You let out a soft sigh of relief and immediately began moving to a new hiding spot with the others.

As he fumbled through the darkness, his back suddenly pressed into someone’s chest.

Goosebumps exploded across his skin. Before Bai You could react, his wrists were brutally twisted behind his back. The sharp pain made him hiss.

The cold barrel of a gun was pressed against his temple.

A stranger’s voice rang out from behind him: “Colonel Fu, stop now, or your Omega goes first.”

Likely because their pheromones had once been inextricably linked, Bai You could sense Fu Yu standing not far away.

Hearing the pirate’s threat, Fu Yu sounded surprised and indifferent. “Please, be my guest.”

Bai You bit his lip.

Fu Yu’s voice carried its usual, casual amusement: “He’s just an Omega. Do you really think I’d let you go for his sake?”

Clearly not expecting such a lighthearted and decisive display of heartlessness, the pirate faltered, his breathing becoming uneven.

In that moment of hesitation, several soldiers lunged forward. Bai You seized the chance to slip out of the pirate’s grip, but the pirate’s reaction time was unexpectedly fast. Realizing he’d been played, he flew into a rage and began firing wildly!

Everything happened in a matter of seconds. Before Bai You could make sense of the situation, he was pulled into a familiar embrace and shielded beneath a heavy body.

Warm blood, saturated with a thick Alpha scent, began to drip relentlessly onto his face. Bai You gasped unconsciously, his mind a blank slate. His lips trembled as he ground out through gritted teeth, ” Fu Yu, what the hell is wrong with you? The ring isn’t broken yet.”

The final barrier hadn’t failed; he didn’t need anyone to take a bullet for him.

He felt the Alpha grab his ring finger and nip at the ring with sharp canines. He sounded like he was laughing softly, a sound filled with a twisted, eerie quality. “I know.”

A moment later, he murmured to himself: “Glad it didn’t break.”

That extraordinary sense of protectiveness made Bai You realize once again that something was wrong.

Fu Yu was very strange tonight.

After the auction ended, he had disappeared for a while, and then—like a child competing for attention—he had insisted on two dances, his body temperature burning and intense.

Lying on the cold floor, influenced by the staggering concentration of pheromones in the blood dripping onto his face, Bai You finally realized the truth. He reached up and touched the Alpha’s abnormally hot forehead, his voice raspy.

“Are you going into your rut, Fu Yu?”

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