Xu Cenfeng grew up in the deep mountains from a young age, with very little exposure to the outside world of lights and revelry. He studied diligently and lived earnestly, firmly drawing the line against the potentially addictive dangers of risky games. However, there are always exceptions to everything.
Faeus, on the other hand, was like a delinquent youth deliberately trying to pull Xu Cenfeng, this studious student, into trouble, hoping to stain this clean young male with his own colors.
“Bang—”
The sound of a glass being struck and crashing to the ground echoed.
Without warning, Xu Cenfeng pressed Faeus against the cool bar counter, lowering his head to kiss along his collarbone. His fingertips tightly gripped the slender waist of the female zerg, bearing a roughness that contrasted sharply with his usual demeanor.
The dark red liquid trickled down Faeus’ neck, adding a glistening sheen to his bronze chest, before quietly seeping into the crevices of his belt, dampening his black military pants below.
The liquid was bitter and spicy, much like their tangled past lives, leaving behind a lingering and twisted aftertaste.
“Mmm…”
Faeus weakly tilted his head back, his hand reaching to hold the back of Xu Cenfeng’s head, but feeling a sense of emptiness. He pulled Xu Cenfeng up to face him, panting heavily, and asked, “Is the wine good?”
Xu Cenfeng’s breath caught for a moment at the question. In reality, he had only tasted a few drops of the wine just now, but his memories were filled more with the sensation of Faeus’ smooth and tight skin, and the distinct texture of his abdominal muscles. His gaze momentarily lost focus. “I don’t know…”
Faeus noticed that Xu Cenfeng’s face had turned slightly red, which was quite apparent against his fair complexion. He cupped Xu Cenfeng’s face in his hands, carefully examining it for a moment, wondering why this male zerg looked so much like a fledgling: “Have you marked any other female zergs before?”
Xu Cenfeng shook his head.
Faeus felt a jolt in his heart at the response. He picked up the nearby bottle of wine, took a sip, then held Xu Cenfeng’s face with a mischievous intent and transferred some of the wine into his mouth. Xu Cenfeng, unable to handle the spicy stimulation, tried to retreat, but was pulled into an even deeper kiss by Faeus.
Xu Cenfeng wasn’t drunk initially, but now he felt a bit intoxicated. As their lips and tongues intertwined, there was a hint of intoxicating wine taste. His mind became foggy, and instinctively he pressed Faeus against the edge of the table, reaching to undo the other’s military pants.
“Hey—”
Faeus stopped Xu Cenfeng’s hand and raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t say you could mark me.”
Xu Cenfeng was drunk, feeling as if he had returned to his past life. He buried his face in Faeus’ neck, wondering why this female zerg, who used to love pushing him to mark him, now seemed unwilling. He furrowed his brows imperceptibly. “Why?”
“There’s not always a ‘why’ to everything.”
Faeus was certain that Xu Cenfeng was drunk, and a mischievous thought crossed his mind. He decided to play along. “What’s your name?”
Xu Cenfeng looked at him, his ink-black pupils now veiled with a glossy watery sheen, his expression a mix of confusion and dispersal. After a moment of contemplation, he replied slowly, “Xu… Cenfeng…”
It seemed to be his real name.
Faeus continued, “And what’s your blood purity?”
Xu Cenfeng hesitated for a moment, remaining silent. It seemed like the last shreds of his rationality were struggling within his mind.
Faeus decided to skip that question altogether. After all, even if Xu Cenfeng didn’t answer, the doctor would find out soon enough. “Have you married any female monarch or female consorts in your hometown?”
“No.”
Xu Cenfeng shook his head. Feeling that the bar counter was too small to maneuver, he clumsily wrapped his arms around Faeus and stumbled towards the sofa in the living room, where they both collapsed onto it together.
Damn it…
Faeus cursed silently to himself. He suddenly caught a faint whiff of pheromones in the air, indicating that the intoxicated male zerg was unconsciously releasing his scent. With his estrus period approaching, wasn’t this just adding fuel to the fire?
Half of Faeus’ military pants had already been pulled off by Xu Cenfeng. He lay on the sofa, his nape burning hot, his deep green eyes suddenly tinged with red for a moment as he spoke in a hoarse voice, “Xu Cenfeng—”
Xu Cenfeng paused at the movement but then heard Faeus suddenly ask, “Why do you want to mark me?”
Xu Cenfeng lowered his gaze to him, saying nothing.
So Faeus asked again, “Why do you want to mark me?”
Xu Cenfeng couldn’t come up with an answer. He closed his eyes, burying his face in Faeus’ shoulder. His side profile, with its smooth and fair skin, moved slightly, but he couldn’t manage to voice an answer.
Seeing the faint blush at the corner of Xu Cenfeng’s eyes, Faeus inexplicably felt like he was bullying him. His slender fingertips traced gently through Xu Cenfeng’s ink-black hair, subtly revealing his own bronze chest. With a tantalizing smile, he asked in a low voice, “Want some more wine?”
Faeus didn’t mind letting him drink to his heart’s content.
…
Hawke arrived in the afternoon. Initially following Faeus’ instructions, he had secretly arranged for a doctor to test blood purity at the Interstellar Hospital and brought them to the hotel. However, the location was suddenly changed to Faeus’ residence, which caused a delay of about half an hour.
Hawke rushed to the residence with the doctor. He pressed the doorbell, silently praying that the leader wouldn’t be in a bad mood, especially since female zergs nearing their estrus period could be quite irritable.
“Ding-dong—”
“Ding-dong—”
Upon hearing the doorbell ring, Xu Cenfeng subconsciously lifted his head from Faeus’ embrace, his lips reddened to an unusual extent. “Who’s there?”
Faeus, with his gaze wandering and scattered, finally managed to gather a shred of reason upon hearing Xu Cenfeng’s question. He belatedly remembered that he had called a doctor to test Xu Cenfeng’s blood purity. Cursing under his breath, he hastily straightened his collar and sat up from the sofa. “Damn it, it must be Hawke!”
His shirt was stained with dark red wine marks, and his chest was both red and swollen. Faeus didn’t have time to change his clothes, so he quickly grabbed the coat hanging over a chair and hurriedly put it on, fastening the buttons in a few swift motions.
Thinking Hawke had come for military matters with Faeus, Xu Cenfeng stood up from the sofa, ready to retreat upstairs. “You discuss official business. I’ll go upstairs for a while.”
Upon hearing this, Faeus halted in his tracks. “No need.”
He then walked straight to the door and opened it, revealing Hawke and a female zerg doctor in a white coat standing outside. Faeus furrowed his brows at the sight. “Why are you so late?”
Coming neither too early nor too late, but precisely at this moment, Faeus felt an itching hatred in his heart.
Hawke sniffed subtly, detecting the lingering scent of alcohol in the air. He instinctively glanced at Faeus, but found him tightly wrapped up, his black military attire perfectly concealing any signs of the wine stains, except for his lips tinged with a familiar shade of red.
Hawke always had an uncanny sense of intelligence at times like these. Sensing the situation, he quickly averted his gaze, afraid of seeing something he shouldn’t. “Reporting to the leader, we encountered some navigation system issues due to heavy snow, which caused us to…”
Faeus didn’t want to hear the trivial reasons. He turned and walked back to the sofa, speaking in a voice only they could hear, his brows furrowed. “Come in and conduct a blood test for him.”
When Faeus referred to “him”, he naturally meant Xu Cenfeng.
Sitting on the sofa, Xu Cenfeng immediately noticed the white-coated doctor standing behind Hawke. His mind quickly grasped Faeus’ intention to test his blood purity, but he casually asked, “Are you sick? Why did you suddenly call a doctor?”
Upon hearing this, Faeus halted his military boots and stopped directly in front of Xu Cenfeng. He rolled up his sleeve to reveal a section of his muscular bronze arm, exuding strength from head to toe, and asked in a tone laden with an inexplicable meaning, “Do I look like someone who’s sick to you?”
Quite alike.
Xu Cenfeng remained calm and swallowed down those words without showing any emotion: “Then why did you call the doctor?”
Faeus didn’t respond immediately. He lazily sat down on the sofa, squinting his eyes as he lit a cigarette before replying, “To conduct a blood purity test for you. You’ll need it for getting your Star Citizen ID.”
Xu Cenfeng was currently a fugitive, lacking a registered residence and identification. If he wanted to settle down in Hossburgh and live a normal life, he needed a Star Citizen ID. Without it, there was no way to legitimize his status.
The doctor nearby timely approached with a medical kit, kneeling halfway on the carpet. “Your Excellency, please allow me to conduct a blood test for you.”
Xu Cenfeng paused at the words, but he didn’t refuse. He cooperated by extending his right hand. The doctor’s attitude was extremely careful. He gently rolled up Xu Cenfeng’s sleeve, then carefully sterilized the area on his forearm. Finally, he inserted the slender needle into the skin, slowly drawing a small amount of blood into a tube.
The bright red color was striking, and as the needle was withdrawn, a soothing and gentle fragrance gradually filled the air.
Seeing this, Hawke unconsciously took two steps back, surprised, and used his collar to cover his nose. Although female zergs were sensitive to the pheromones emitted by male zergs, it was unusual for such a strong scent to be present during a simple blood draw. Even Hill, with the highest blood purity, wouldn’t necessarily have such a strong scent.
Even the doctor trembled for a moment. He remained tense throughout, holding his breath, and dared not make a sound. After completing the blood draw, he quickly sealed the tube and withdrew from Xu Cenfeng’s side, standing as far away as Hawke.
The doctor respectfully addressed Faeus, “Supreme Leader, the blood draw for this gentleman is completed. The test results should be available in as little as three days.”
For a routine test, results could be available within a few hours. However, if the data from Xu Cenfeng’s blood test were deemed “special,” they would need to undergo layers of screening and verification.
Faeus flicked the ash off his cigarette, a strand of red hair quietly falling across his eyes. With a nonchalant “hmm” that betrayed no emotion, he said, “Bring me the results as soon as possible.”
The implicit meaning was clear: they could leave.
Upon hearing this, Hawke immediately took his leave with the doctor, sensibly exiting the premises.
Xu Cenfeng had long known the test results, so he felt nothing in particular. It was Faeus who sat on the sofa, furrowing his brow and smoking absentmindedly, as if pondering some inscrutable problem of life. It wasn’t until evening that he finally managed to pull back his wandering thoughts.
There were probably about a dozen servants in the villa, responsible for tending the gardens, cleaning, and cooking. However, once they completed their tasks, they quietly retreated because Faeus disliked noise.
This zerg preferred to be alone, and no other creature could encroach upon his territory. Yet tonight, there was an unexpected addition—a human.
Xu Cenfeng and Faeus sat face to face, finishing their meal. After wiping their mouths with napkins, Xu Cenfeng asked the question that concerned him the most, “I want to rest upstairs. Which room should I stay in?”
Upon hearing this, Faeus’ hand trembled, nearly dropping his chopsticks. He had been troubled by this matter while sitting on the sofa this afternoon. Where Xu Cenfeng would stay was indeed a tricky question. It seemed strange for him to stay in another room, but staying together might lead to complications. No matter how it was arranged, something felt off.
“Come upstairs with me.”
In the end, Faeus could only set down his chopsticks and lead Xu Cenfeng upstairs. He leaned against the railing with his arms crossed, chin slightly raised, and gestured to the room on the right. “You’ll stay in there.”
Xu Cenfeng asked deliberately, “Where will you be staying?”
Faeus pointed to a room on the left. “I’ll be in there.”
Oh, so they wouldn’t be staying together after all.
Xu Cenfeng didn’t seem disappointed at all. He pushed open the door to the room on the right, turned on the light, and glanced inside. The room was luxuriously and comfortably furnished, with even a row of fully stocked bookshelves in the corner. He sincerely remarked, “The room is very beautiful.”
Upon hearing this, Faeus choked momentarily, his gaze unwavering on Xu Cenfeng. “Don’t you want to say something?”
Faeus had been waiting for Xu Cenfeng to ask why they weren’t staying together. That way, he might consider sharing a room with this male zerg. But instead, Xu Cenfeng just happily moved into the room without a word?
Faeus inexplicably felt like his plans had fallen through, even though he hadn’t really schemed anything.
Xu Cenfeng smiled and felt compelled to add, “Thank you.”
Faeus: “…”
That night, as Faeus returned to his room with a stomach full of frustration, he truly appreciated Xu Cenfeng’s gentlemanly demeanor. However, sometimes being too much of a gentleman could be quite infuriating.
“Crash—”
Faeus shrugged off his coat, tossing it carelessly onto the floor. His muscular physique was laid bare in the air, every muscle silently conveying wildness. He glanced at the mirror, observing the love marks on his body, and then frowned as he touched the swollen areas tenderly. With a sharp intake of breath, he muttered to himself:
“Hiss…”
Drinking indeed took its toll on the body.
Faeus turned and walked into the bathroom, turning on the shower to wash away the lingering alcohol on his body, although it was highly likely that it had already been kissed away by the male zerg. He leaned against the wall, letting the hot water stream down his neck, while two words faintly emerged in his mind—
Marking.
No, to be precise, it should be two words: being marked.
Faeus resisted this term greatly because once a male zerg’s pheromones marked a female zerg, it meant being bound to that male zerg for the rest of their lives. Their bodies would remember that scent, unforgettable until death.
Faeus had a vague sense that he might not be able to withstand this year’s estrus period.
He closed his eyes, letting the water flow over his body, and clenched his fists silently. In a low murmur, he uttered two words: “Xu Cenfeng…”
His narrow emerald eyes suddenly opened, but all that could be seen was an intolerable crimson, like a wild beast in heat in the jungle, fierce yet cold.
On the other side, Xu Cenfeng had finished his shower and lay down on the bed, but for some reason, he felt no drowsiness. He and Faeus had also slept in separate rooms in their past lives, unless it was necessary for marking; they never spent the night together.
The current situation was somewhat similar to their past lives, yet entirely different.
But the more it was like this, the more Xu Cenfeng couldn’t control his thoughts from drifting. Those thoughts swirled in his mind, eventually becoming the melting snow outside, becoming an unreachable past.
Xu Cenfeng closed his eyes, finally forcing himself to sleep. The moonlight, pure and bright, shone through the glass window, casting a layer of hazy light and shadow on the floor. Vaguely visible was the figure on the bed, and the human man who was gradually falling asleep.
Xu Cenfeng had a long dream,
He dreamed about some things from his past life,
And he dreamed about the first time he marked Faeus.…
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