The Top-Tier Alpha Refuses to Be Pretty Cannon Fodder - Chapter 31

Lu Yunli felt that Qi Xi was like a cunning wolf, simply waiting for the rabbit to let down its guard and reveal a weakness before dragging the red-eyed creature back to his den. Lu Yunli had only been a little careless for a moment, and the man had seized the opportunity to take advantage of him.

Then again, it wasn’t as if Lu Yunli hadn’t taken his own share of advantages just now.

A single kiss had caused the Oolong White Tea pheromones to be stained with a hint of wine, creating a mellow and intense lingering note. However, Qi Xi discovered that the state of the person in his arms did not improve despite the soothing Alpha pheromones. Instead, the youth’s eyes were red from crying, making him look like a little rabbit.

If an Omega cannot safely pass through their heat cycle, it causes severe physical damage. Qi Xi felt that perhaps a brief temporary mark would be the only thing that could help.

Qi Xi leaned down and used his sharp canine teeth to pierce the skin, pouring his pheromones into the other’s body through the gland.

The sudden piercing of a forbidden territory that had never been touched caused Lu Yunli’s vision to go black from the pain. He hissed, sucking in a breath of cold air, and his mind suddenly snapped into clarity.

Damn it…

He had been bitten. Qi Xi was actually treating him like an Omega and attempting a temporary mark.

An Alpha’s gland itself does not possess the capacity to be marked; Qi Xi was essentially performing a useless task. He couldn’t mark him, and since an Alpha’s healing ability is incredibly strong, this mark would likely vanish without a trace in a couple of days.

Lu Yunli reached out to push him away. However, as a large amount of Alpha pheromones gathered within his body, the clash between the two Alpha scents made Lu Yunli’s fingers go weak and his body turn frail. It was a brief state of “pseudo-heat” that Alphas sometimes entered.

The little rabbit could only tremble and curl up in the wolf’s arms, unable to do anything.

Qi Xi…

Lu Yunli chewed on the name in his mind. He tilted his head and, in an act of retaliation, snapped his teeth onto the man’s arm, biting down hard.

Qi Xi’s brow furrowed. Does it hurt that much?

He released the youth and placed a very gentle kiss upon the wound. That kiss was lingering—both an act of soothing and a sign of attachment. Lu Yunli felt a surge of numbness spread through his entire body. His frame stiffened instantly, and he let go of his bite.

It was the classic case of “a slap followed by a sweet date.”

“Lu—”

The moment Rice pushed the door open, he saw two people collapsed on the floor. The words “President Lu” nearly escaped his lips.

Lu Yunli, aware of the presence of another person, poked his head out and saw Rice standing there. Finally, he’s here. If he hadn’t come, his boss would have been eaten whole.

Lu Yunli called out to him, “Rice.”

The “little Omega” called out in a soft, muffled voice, sounding full of expectation. Qi Xi reached out and turned the youth’s head back, forcing him to look at him. He leaned down to pick him up horizontally, but his hands were swatted away by “Lu Yunxing.”

Rice stepped forward quickly. “Second Young Master.”

Qi Xi stared at the back of his hand, which stung from the hit, and saw that Lu Yunli had rejected him in favor of reaching out to Rice. Rice helped him up, and as Qi Xi tried to approach again, Rice blocked him with a hand and offered a reminder. “President Qi, your secretary is still outside.”

Xie Xingchi.

Qi Xi narrowed his eyes. “I already found your people. He is in heat; please send someone to take him away.”

If he remembered correctly, Rice was also an Alpha. With Xingxing’s current unstable condition, he didn’t feel comfortable leaving him with Rice. Qi Xi reached out again. “Give Xingxing to me.”

Rice did not budge. Instead, he reminded the man, “President Qi, your secretary is unwilling to cooperate. You had better go check on him.” As Qi Xi stepped forward, Rice added, “He is, after all, a son of the Xie family. If something were to happen…”

Qi Xi’s face darkened instantly. Rice was right.

Qi Xi cast a worried glance at “Lu Yunxing.”

Lu Yunli: “Brother Qi, I have Rice here. You should go take a look.”

If something went wrong with Xie Xingchi here, it would be a massive headache later. Qi Xi weighed the options and gave his instructions. “Then I will go check. I’ll be back in a moment.”

Lu Yunli nodded obediently. The moment he saw the man leave, Lu Yunli’s expression changed. His face turned cold as he wiped the tears from his eyes and held out a hand to Rice. “Suppressant.”

Rice hurried to hand over the prepared suppressant. As the liquid was slowly injected, Lu Yunli felt the pheromones in his body gradually settle. He let out a breath and sat down on the sofa.

[520: System Alert: Current scene ‘Birthday Peril’ is 70 percent complete. The plot is past its midpoint, and the scene has ended. The system is calculating the results, which will be announced shortly.]

It seemed punishment was unavoidable. He just didn’t know what kind of punishment it would be. Lu Yunli sat on the sofa and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Rice turned on the lights, revealing a distressed-looking Lu Yunli. He assumed it was because of the Xie Xingchi situation. Rice poured a glass of warm water, and as he approached, he caught sight of the bloodstains on Lu Yunli’s snow-white shirt. The neck hidden behind the collar was bloody, clearly having just been bitten.

Rice stood to the side, his head bowed in guilt. “President Lu, it was my failure in handling the matter.”

Lu Yunli felt Rice’s gaze on his neck. He took a sip of the water. “It’s fine, don’t worry.”

An Alpha’s neck wasn’t even the right place for a mark. Getting bitten there was his own fault for being careless. One day, he would make the man pay it back.

Rice: “Should I call a doctor, President Lu?”

Lu Yunli: “No need. I was just bitten by a dog.”

Rice: “Then you should probably get a rabies shot.”

Rice’s deadpan joke earned a chuckle from Lu Yunli. He leaned back against the sofa, raising an eyebrow at his assistant. “What is the situation with Xie Xingchi?”

Rice: “Qi Xi called our people. We have already delivered the suppressant to him.”

Lu Yunli propped his head up with his fingers, massaging his aching temples. “Check the hallway. We are leaving.”

Rice turned and exited. With Qi Xi gone, the corridor was empty. Lu Yunli left the room and returned to his personal lounge. Once inside, he shed his outer coat and changed into a fresh set of clothes.

He stared at the red swelling on the back of his neck that had yet to subside. He buttoned his collar tightly, hiding the mark, and fastened his tie. The meticulous dressing transformed his rebellious aura into one of cold, ascetic indifference.

He opened the door and walked out, leaning against the second-floor railing. Below, the banquet guests had mostly dispersed. As he looked down, he saw Duke Albard walking toward the main entrance. The Duke seemed to sense the gaze from above; he paused and looked up at Lu Yunli.

Across the distance between the two floors, Duke Albard moved his lips silently. Lu Yunli read his lips: Until we meet again.

Lu Yunli gave a cold snort. He was actually looking forward to their next meeting. Duke Albard’s ambition was far from small; if he ascended to the throne, Country M would face a very difficult battle ahead.

Once the Duke had departed, Lu Yunli straightened his suit. He glanced sideways as a thought occurred to him. “Has Sheng Yan left?”

Rice: “He couldn’t find you earlier, so he said he was heading back. He mentioned he would be waiting for you at FLP tomorrow.” Rice paused, looking uncertain. “President Lu, are you actually going to FLP tomorrow?”

Lu Yunli: “We are shooting the magazine cover at FLP tomorrow. Have the team prepare.”

“Yes, sir.” Seeing Lu Yunli preparing to leave the venue, Rice called out, “Are you leaving now? But President Qi said for you to wait for him…”

Lu Yunli: “Tell him to get lost.”

Lu Yunli drove all the way back to the Lu family’s ancestral estate. In this generation, their parents had died in a car accident, leaving only the Lu brothers as survivors of the main branch.

Lu Yunli picked up a family portrait from a side table. In the photo, the family of four wore sweet, happy smiles. His finger brushed over an eight or nine-year-old child standing beside him; the boy’s features were identical to his own.

[520: Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully unlocking the hidden plot: ‘The Lu Twins.’ Current Level: 16.]

[Lu Yunli: So the Lu family really did have twins. But Lu Yunxing died in that car accident as well, didn’t he?]

[520: Yes.]

“The Eldest Young Master is back? Was the birthday banquet a success? The Second Young Master didn’t come back with you again today.”

Lu Yunli set the photo frame down and looked behind him. Standing in the living room was a woman in her fifties, dressed like a domestic worker. Searching through the original owner’s memories, he identified her as Nanny Zhang, who had cared for the Lu brothers since they were children.

From Nanny Zhang’s words, it seemed she was unaware that the real Lu Yunxing was dead.

Lu Yunli replied, “Xingxing… left with Qi Xi after the banquet.”

Nanny Zhang stepped forward with a cheerful smile. “I heard recently that the young couple has reconciled.”

Lu Yunli twitched his lips. “You could say that.”

“Oh! Then it won’t be long before we have a chubby little grandson to hold, will it?”

Lu Yunli: “…”

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