Category: Inferior A After Having a Baby with the Top Boss

Chapter 31: Sleeping Together p2

[Teacher Xiao Fei, are you okay?]

[Remember to reply to me when you wake up.]

Ming Fei’s heart felt warm. She cherished everything she had, and in the past twenty-five years, Li Xing had been her best friend.

She didn’t give perfunctory replies, patiently answering all of Li Xing’s questions and telling her that the hotel’s public network had been down last night, and she hadn’t intentionally ignored her messages.

It was only four o’clock in the morning in the Independent State of Yi Meng. Ming Fei had thought Li Xing would be asleep, but unexpectedly, after she replied, Li Xing instantly messaged back.

[Finally! You’re back!!!]

[It’s good that you’re okay. Honestly, what’s going on between you two?]

[Chief Judge Zhu’s marriage announcement interview was so romantic. Is she good to you? Does she mind Zaozao?]

Ming Fei had asked Zhu Yiqiao about Ming Zaozao, and the answer she received was to keep it a secret for now. So, facing her friend’s question, Ming Fei could only answer vaguely.

[She’s very good to both Zaozao and me, and she doesn’t mind Zaozao at all.]

[It’s nothing, it’s just like she said.]

[Aren’t you sleeping yet?]

[[Kitten confused.jpg]]

Li Xing’s reply was still very fast.

[Sleep? The whole country is buzzing about your banquet photos, everyone is saying you and Chief Judge Zhu are a perfect match.]

[Some jealous people are being criticized by our school’s students hahaha.]

Ming Fei looked at the screenshots of the public comments that Li Xing sent. There were indeed a few accounts saying that she and Zhu Yiqiao didn’t match, and even wrote long essays about how Zhu Yiqiao deserved better.

The words were full of belittlement and contempt towards her.

Then, several student accounts that she had no impression of listed all the awards she had won, the research projects she had independently completed, and her many achievements in professional fields, and added pictures saying that she and Zhu Yiqiao were the perfect match.

Ming Fei, feeling defended, smiled, her gentle eyes like the spring rain in March.

---

On the other side.

In the military hospital in Taiya, two tears hung from the corners of Lan Lubai’s eyes, squeezed out with effort, foreshadowing a dramatic performance.

“Wuwuwu Min Man, look how Yiqiao treats the injured.”

Lan Lubai complained to Min Man on the floating screen: “I’ve only been in the hospital for one night, and Yiqiao is already making me go to the police department for the investigation. How can she be so biased? I request that Chief Judge Zhu’s cruel exploitation of the injured be made public.”

Zhu Yiqiao, sitting on the sofa, was wearing her Trial Court uniform, the dark cloak replaced with a more streamlined cape. She faced the floating screen, her gloved left hand supporting her chin, a strand of hair falling over her ear.

Min Man mercilessly exposed her: “Auntie told me last night that she directly used the hospital’s medical pod on you, and your injury has already completely healed. So, wipe your tears.”

Lan Lubai couldn’t believe her mother had betrayed her like this.

Min Man continued, “Last night, the Trial Court and the police department put on a show together to lure out the research institute spies lurking in the shadows. As an executive of the Trial Court, you should participate in the investigation after you recover.”

Zhu Yiqiao: “Executive Lan, do you have any objections?”

Lan Lubai, already in her uniform, wiped away her fake tears and put on her cap, saying firmly,

“No objections.”

“However—”

She paused: “Yiqiao, Teacher Xiao Fei’s performance last night was quite unexpected. She actually shot Bai He with one shot.”

In fact, last night’s banquet was a trap set by the Trial Court and the police department, designed to catch the enemy off guard. But no one expected that Bai He would be on the research institute’s spy list, and that she would be bold enough to directly inject someone with illegal drugs.

Min Man also nodded: “Yes, that was also somewhat unexpected, but last night was still too dangerous.”

Lan Lubai agreed: “Right.”

They all assumed that the research institute’s target was Zhu Yiqiao, and Zhu Yiqiao herself insisted on being the bait to lure the snake out of its hole, but unexpectedly… the first bullet was actually aimed at Ming Fei.

For protection and capture, the Trial Court and the police department had deployed many people in advance.

For Ming Fei’s safety, Zhu Yiqiao had planned all possible hiding spots and escape routes for her in advance, and arranged for two people to secretly protect her at all times. She even installed a priceless emergency protection device in Ming Fei’s pheromone bracelet.

But the mysterious research institute… still managed to launch several unexpected attacks and cause damage.

Zhu Yiqiao promised, “I won’t let any danger get near her again.”

Lan Lubai agreed: “Mm! I agree!”

“I originally thought Teacher Xiao Fei was a soft bunny, but after last night, I have a new perspective on her.”

She recalled the scene: “I think Teacher Xiao Fei is more like some kind of gentle canine, sincere and kind, gentle but not lacking in strength, perfectly matching Yiqiao’s preferences!”

After saying that, she asked directly, “Right? Yiqiao.”

Zhu Yiqiao didn’t say a word.

Min Man on the floating screen was a little puzzled: “I don’t remember Yiqiao ever saying what kind of person she likes.”

At this moment, Lan Lubai, who had the worst academic record among the three, puffed out her chest and said emphatically,

“Process of elimination, get it?”

“When we were serving, so many passionate and romantic officers pursued Yiqiao, but she didn’t pay them any attention.”

“Even a lady as wild and charming as Colonel Xu, Yiqiao didn’t even give her a second glance!”

Min Man speculated, “Maybe Yiqiao likes someone innocent and cute?”

Lan Lubai shook her head: “Xue Na, the cherished daughter of the Moya family in Silla, is innocent and cute enough, right? When she approached Yiqiao, Yiqiao mercilessly refused her invitation to the ball!”

Min Man then said, “Smart and capable? Or the cold and domineering CEO type that’s popular in Independent State novels?”

Lan Lubai laughed: “The two types you mentioned, I guess Yiqiao would pull out her gun and start a countdown when they approach her.”

“After eliminating all the known options, Yiqiao’s preference is obvious!”

Looking at her silent friend, Lan Lubai smiled: “You can’t resist Teacher Xiao Fei!”

Zhu Yiqiao remained silent, a ripple of emotion appearing in her blue eyes. And Min Man, who usually didn’t ask about these things, couldn’t help but seek confirmation.

“Yiqiao, is Lubai right?”

Chapter 31: Sleeping Together p1

After the service robot in the living room entered standby mode, the room fell silent. Ming Fei’s mind kept replaying Zhu Yiqiao’s instruction.

…Sleep on the bed together?

It wasn’t entirely unacceptable.

After all, it was just a contract marriage, and they had to play the part.

She thought seriously, if she refused, would it appear as if she had other intentions, making things awkward and strange?

So, after sorting out her thoughts, Ming Fei glanced at the time on the display screen.

It was very late, and she didn’t want to delay their rest any longer.

She replied, “Okay.”

Zhu Yiqiao didn’t say a word and took the lead, walking away. Ming Fei followed closely behind, the blush on her cheeks already faded, returning to her usual porcelain white.

The bed in the bedroom was 2.4 meters wide, more than enough for two tall adults.

The left side of the bed was next to the bay window, and the right side faced the matching wardrobe. Ming Fei felt that sleeping on the right side would be more convenient.

She asked, “Jiejie, are you sleeping on the right side?”

“Mm.”

Sharing a bed for the first time, Ming Fei still felt a little awkward and unsure of what to do.

After taking off her shoes and sitting on the left side of the bed, she consciously took the pillow from the bay window and placed it in the middle, using it as a boundary to indicate that she wouldn’t do anything offensive.

“I won’t cross this line.”

After saying that, perhaps because Zhu Yiqiao had smiled at her for the first time tonight, or perhaps because Zhu Yiqiao had made an exception to teach her how to control her pheromones, or perhaps because she understood more about the reality of their contract marriage, she smiled at Zhu Yiqiao and even made a joke.

“If I cross the line, you can punish me.”

The main light in the bedroom was turned off, leaving only a warm night light leading to the bathroom.

Zhu Yiqiao lay down on the right side of the pillow, her long, black curly hair spread out like smooth and soft satin. The dim light cast a shadow on her eyelashes. The background was simple, yet this scene was as beautiful as a retro movie from the old century.

Ming Fei, lying on her side, faced the bay window. Just when she thought Zhu Yiqiao wouldn’t answer her, she heard her ask,

“What kind of punishment do you like?”

Ming Fei’s lips curved upwards, because she heard that it wasn’t a stern question.

She turned over and lay flat on her back, not looking at the person beside her, but staring at the ceiling and saying quite seriously,

“Punish me by making me cook.”

Zhu Yiqiao’s expression was indifferent: “Why?”

“Because I’m not used to the food here in Taiya.”

The local tastes of Taiya, like their passionate and unrestrained demeanor in the international community, were spicy. Every dish contained various colorful chili peppers, each with its own unique spiciness.

And Ming Fei, always considerate, had already noticed at the banquet that Zhu Yiqiao couldn’t handle spicy food, but because she didn’t want to appear as if she was trying to figure out Zhu Yiqiao’s preferences, she vaguely said that she couldn’t handle it herself.

Through the hazy night, Zhu Yiqiao’s voice was soft.

“Mm.”

Ming Fei, with her healthy sleep schedule, gradually became sleepy and closed her eyes after a few minutes.

She was a still sleeper, basically waking up in the same position she fell asleep in. Therefore, she was quite confident that she wouldn’t cross the line.

The soft and comfortable bed enveloped the two people with different dreams.

Zhu Yiqiao was a light sleeper. During her service, any slight movement would make her open her eyes immediately, ready for anything.

But tonight, her eyelids felt heavy as lead. The pear scent that had permeated the room seemed to seep into her dreams, making her sleep particularly soundly.

The latest hotel regulations issued by the relevant departments of Taiya required hotels to provide personalized services to meet the needs of various groups of people.

The soft and comfortable intelligent bed No. re2326 in the bedroom had multiple functions, including automatic adjustment. Since it detected that the two newlyweds were too far apart, the intelligent bed, which hadn’t been turned off, automatically closed the gap between them.

After confirming that the distance between the two had been completely eliminated, the intelligent bed also entered sleep mode.

Soon after, the cold rabbit burrowed into the warm nest of the large feline.

---

Ming Fei didn’t have any nightmares this time.

She felt herself surrounded by a warm fragrance, as if she had fallen into a tree hollow made of pine, fir, and torreya.

Her biological clock gradually woke her up at seven in the morning. She lingered in the warmth of the bed, struggling with sleepiness for a while before slowly opening her dark eyes. But as soon as she opened her eyes, the situation in front of her almost made her face flush crimson.

She didn’t know why…

The pillow between them was gone. Not only had she crossed the demarcation line, but she was also half-hugging Zhu Yiqiao, her head buried in her shoulder and neck.

Ming Fei froze, her breathing stopping for a beat.

She apologized inwardly and carefully withdrew without disturbing Zhu Yiqiao’s sleep. Only after completely moving to the other side did her breathing return to normal.

This offensive act wasn’t intentional. After repeating her apologies three times in her heart, she got up and covered the still-sleeping Zhu Yiqiao with the blanket before hurrying into the bathroom.

Ming Fei was usually a very still sleeper. She really couldn’t understand how this had happened.

The mirror on the vanity reflected her current appearance.

Ming Fei buttoned up her collar, which had come undone, and rubbed her increasingly hot face, ordering her cheeks to stop rising in temperature. But her order had no effect at all. It wasn’t until she finished washing up and making breakfast that the temperature on her face finally went down.

Because the hotel guests were all public officials, to ensure food safety, the hotel prohibited ordering food from third parties. If they didn’t eat the three meals provided by the hotel, they could only eat out or cook themselves.

Ming Fei chose to cook with the ingredients in the refrigerator.

She cooked very quickly, every step already memorized.

When she placed the blueberry pancakes and caramel cinnamon toast, made according to Zhu Yiqiao’s taste, on the dining table, Zhu Yiqiao, having finished washing up, had already arrived in the living room.

Their eyes met briefly, and Ming Fei looked away: “Morning.”

Zhu Yiqiao: “Morning.”

The dining table in the living room was only suitable for sitting face to face. Ming Fei served Zhu Yiqiao a bowl of porridge that had been simmering for half an hour, not trying to probe whether she remembered what had happened last night.

Instead, it was Zhu Yiqiao who asked, “Why did the bed shrink?”

Ming Fei, who had already asked the staff, lowered her eyes and said, “It’s the latest intelligent adjustable bed. We didn’t turn it off last night, and it… probably detected that we were too far apart, so it automatically adjusted the size of the bed.”

Zhu Yiqiao looked at her: “So, this is the punishment you gave yourself?”

Ming Fei pursed her lips: “Mm.”

She added, “But even without punishment, I would still get up and make breakfast. I’m not used to the food here, and I don’t want to eat spicy bread first thing in the morning.”

In this respect, Ming Fei felt that Zhu Yiqiao was very similar to Ming Zaozao, because Ming Zaozao also preferred sweet food and had a very low tolerance for spicy food.

Once, when eating biscuits, Ming Zaozao hadn’t seen the icon on the biscuit package clearly and mistook the spicy flavor for tomato flavor. After taking a bite full of anticipation, she almost cried from the spiciness.

Later, Ming Zaozao gave all the spicy biscuits to their neighbor in Hui Fu Garden.

Recalling the past with her daughter, Ming Fei’s eyes softened with a smile.

“Do you usually do the cooking?”

Ming Fei nodded: “Mm, back in Hui Fu Garden, Aunt Wang was only responsible for taking care of Zaozao. Only when I was busy would I ask her to help cook for Zaozao.”

Zhu Yiqiao put down her spoon: “Do you like cooking?”

“I can’t say I like it…”

Ming Fei paused and then smiled: “I grew up in an orphanage. There were many children in the orphanage, and sometimes we didn’t have enough to eat. I was very young then. Although I never complained about the food in the cafeteria, I would still crave the food in the pictures I saw in books.”

“After having Zaozao, I wanted her to not only have enough to eat, but also to taste all kinds of delicious food. And I happened to be interested in this, so I studied with a professional chef for a while. After that, I’ve always been the one cooking.”

Hearing this, Zhu Yiqiao’s expression remained unchanged.

She suddenly remembered some of the things Ming Zaozao had told her.

Cooking, handicrafts, reading, and hobbies like fishing and mountain climbing, which had nothing to do with excitement and challenges, almost occupied all of Ming Fei’s free time.

But such hobbies would never appear in any alpha in the Ole Empire.

Due to the Ole Empire’s training standards for alphas, most alphas’ hobbies were aggressive, dangerous, offensive, and even things they did knowing they shouldn’t.

Moreover, alphas in the Ole Empire basically didn’t learn to cook, because according to the common standard, alphas believed that it was the responsibility and obligation of omegas or betas.

If an alpha in the Ole Empire cooked, it would definitely make headlines, because it would shock all the alphas.

After taking a sip of coffee, Zhu Yiqiao asked, “Did you differentiate at seventeen?”

“Mm.”

“Were there any predictions before that?”

Ming Fei replied, “That shouldn’t count as a prediction. It’s just that when many people thought I would differentiate into an omega or beta, a doctor who often gave physical checkups at the orphanage told everyone that I would most likely differentiate into an alpha.”

No matter when they differentiated, the belligerence and danger engraved in an alpha’s genes would gradually train them into the standard alpha defined by the Ole Empire.

But the alpha in front of her was completely different.

This made Zhu Yiqiao even more interested: “Do you agree with the Kerry Declaration issued by the Ole Empire?”

The Kerry Declaration was named to commemorate Kerry, the first scientist to study human differentiation. After this declaration was issued, the Ole Empire officially divided humans into six groups and six levels, and implicitly proposed training standards for each group at the end of the declaration.

Almost everyone in the Ole Empire agreed with the Kerry Declaration, after all, everyone accepted the concept that differentiation was a matter of survival of the fittest.

And Ming Fei happened to be one of the very few who disagreed.

She met Zhu Yiqiao’s gaze. Although she didn’t know the Chief Judge’s attitude towards the Kerry Declaration, and although she was always gentle and shy, on this matter, she would always firmly express her stance and attitude.

“—I don’t agree.”

She said decisively, “I reject any definition in the Kerry Declaration and don’t recognize its stigmatization of ordinary people.”

---

After breakfast, Ming Fei, alone in the hotel, finally had time to turn on her phone.

The news of last night’s attack had long been reported by major media outlets, and her photo, as Zhu Yiqiao’s newlywed partner, had also spread along with the news.

The hotel’s public network happened to be down last night. After struggling with it, she was exhausted, so she turned off her phone to have a peaceful night.

Now that she was fully prepared, she had the time and energy to face the barrage of messages.

The top message in the chat software was from Li Xing, with a total of ninety-nine messages, including various emojis.

Ming Fei browsed through them one by one, her gaze stopping at the latest message received at two o’clock this morning.

[[Little bird going crazy.jpg]]

[You actually hid this from me, I’m really a little angry. But as a good friend, I still forgive you.]

[Happy wedding [rose.jpg][congratulations.jpg][fireworks.jpg]]

[Latest transfer 9999 Remarks: A long and happy life together]

…

 

Chapter 30: “I’ll Only Make This Exception For You Once.”

The hotels in Taiya that accommodated foreign officials were all located in the protected coastal area.

The snowflakes falling outside added a touch of brightness to the azure sea. Inside, the warm and comfortable room was like a bottle of Taiya’s special sweet pear snowflake soda that had been opened, the sweet pear fragrance bubbling like sparkling water.

Ming Fei, dumbfounded by the question, felt her brain short-circuit.

After discovering she had a pheromone scent, she had spent almost a week learning to control it.

She had formed her dissenting opinion of the Ole Empire’s alienation of omegas early on, so… she hadn’t been very attentive in her basic physiology class.

But even so, she was fairly certain that she had learned to control her pheromones, and she was currently wearing a suppressor patch to prevent them from leaking.

Therefore, after reacting, Ming Fei was skeptical of Zhu Yiqiao’s question. But Zhu Yiqiao was not someone who spoke nonsense. With a belief in seeking truth from facts, Ming Fei began to carefully perceive the pheromone scent in the room.

There wasn’t any…!

Wait?!!

Eh! There really was a pear scent?!

As her thoughts raced, Ming Fei’s ears turned crimson.

The undeniable fact overturned her certainty, causing her, who had no intention of provocation or courtship, to feel so embarrassed and awkward that she wanted to flee the planet.

“…Jiejie.”

She apologized in a low voice: “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it in either of those ways. Maybe there’s something wrong with the suppressor patch, and my learning isn’t perfect yet. I haven’t reached the level of complete control.”

“Sorry.” Her eyes were clear, her red lips slightly pursed. “I really didn’t do it on purpose.”

Zhu Yiqiao closed the encrypted electronic document and looked at her with her chin resting on one hand.

“Control it now.”

The Chief Judge, who liked both eating pears and the scent of pears, didn’t say whether she forgave Ming Fei or not: “A new rule will be added to the marriage agreement, which must be followed—no releasing pheromones at will in front of Party A.”

Ming Fei understood: “Okay, I will carefully abide by it.”

After saying that, she tried to control her pheromones, a blush creeping up her porcelain-white cheeks.

However, perhaps the more nervous she was, the harder it was to accomplish. At this moment, she was like a mischievous student, not only unable to control the release of her pheromones, but also making them even stronger.

Ming Fei was almost mortified by her own stupidity, the blush on her cheeks even spreading to her neck.

“…I’m sorry.”

She didn’t even dare to look at Zhu Yiqiao: “Jiejie, I’ll go to the bathroom to control it and then come back out.”

After saying that, without waiting for Zhu Yiqiao’s reply, she quickly darted into the bathroom like a rabbit burrowing into a hole.

The steam in the room hadn’t completely dissipated. Ming Fei first cupped some cool water and washed her face. After quickly cooling down her cheeks, she tried to calmly control and reduce the pear scent.

The control methods described in the physiology class were very vague.

Because glands and pheromones were things whose specific differentiation causes hadn’t been traced yet, and the teachers who went to the orphanage to teach were mostly perfunctory, most of them using courseware that hadn’t been updated in decades, or often just reading from textbooks.

So, Ming Fei’s memory of the control methods was very fuzzy.

She tried, but couldn’t quite grasp it, like trembling pear blossoms on the verge of falling.

…What was going on?

Even if there really was something wrong with the suppressor patch, why couldn’t she control the leakage of her pheromones? Ming Fei wondered in confusion.

As she tried again to control the surging pheromones, and the pear scent in the room intensified, Ming Fei heard a knock on the door, followed by Zhu Yiqiao’s voice.

“Ming Fei, come out.”

Ming Fei was a little worried about offending Zhu Yiqiao again, after all, Zhu Yiqiao adding that rule was hinting at her disapproval. She didn’t open the door immediately, but insisted,

“Jiejie, I haven’t controlled my pheromones yet. Going out will offend you.”

Whether in countless battles during her service or in countless tasks after retiring and being transferred to the Trial Court, Zhu Yiqiao had always been the one giving orders without a second thought. She was in a high position, her orders were absolute, and she never repeated any command she had already given.

Faced with this situation, however, she repeated her request to Ming Fei for the first time.

“—Come out.”

The stalemate lasted only a moment before Ming Fei opened the bathroom door and walked out to face Zhu Yiqiao. Her dark almond eyes seemed to have absorbed the moisture from the bathroom, appearing even more gentle and harmless.

Zhu Yiqiao said, “I remember you saying that you took basic physiology classes in the Ole Empire.”

“Mm.”

Ming Fei, a teacher herself, felt a little embarrassed: “I sat in the last row during class and didn’t listen very carefully.”

Hearing this, Zhu Yiqiao didn’t show any reaction, just led her to the large double bed. She sat on the soft edge of the bed and then asked Ming Fei to sit on the single chair in front of the bed.

The single chair was much lower than the double bed, and the five-centimeter height difference between them didn’t bring them to the same level.

Zhu Yiqiao looked down at her, her reddened ears, cheeks, neck, and those eyes filled with embarrassment, shyness, and helplessness made the alpha in front of her seem completely harmless.

This didn’t conform to the Ole Empire’s training for alphas at all.

Just as there were training standards for omegas, the Ole Empire had very uniform training standards for alphas of all levels. In the standards set by the Ole Empire, alpha represented strength, aggression, charge, dominance, danger, and loss of control.

No alpha would be associated with the words gentle and soft.

And no alpha’s pheromones… would be a sweet, alluring pear scent.

But—

The former Princess Eloris had also been such an exception.

An omega’s pheromones and face, like their personality, should be gentle. But Princess Eloris had a very aggressive face, her indifferent personality like a glacier that could freeze people, and even her pheromones were the woody scent rarely found in omegas.

Cold, aggressive, rebellious, and ambitious, these traits formed the complex Eloris.

So, Zhu Yiqiao didn’t find it strange or surprising. On the contrary, because of these traits that shouldn’t appear in an alpha, she wasn’t as resistant and disgusted by Ming Fei’s alpha identity as she had been initially.

The pear scent in the room was tinged with a slight sourness and bitterness. Ming Fei looked at Zhu Yiqiao, who was expressionless, and asked, a little puzzled,

“Jiejie, why did you ask me to sit here?”

Zhu Yiqiao said, “After Lan Lubai reviewed your personal information according to procedure, she kept telling Min Man and me that you are very good at learning. She even speculated that you must have been a good student who sat in the first row and listened attentively in class.”

Her face still showed no expression, and no emotion could be detected in her clear, spring-like voice.

“So, I didn’t expect Teacher Ming to be distracted in basic physiology class.”

Hearing this, the blush that had just faded from Ming Fei’s face surged back with unstoppable force. She couldn’t hide her embarrassment, all her thoughts clearly written on her face.

“…Everyone has moments of inattention.”

She tried to defend herself, but found the excuse weak, especially since it was a fact that she hadn’t paid attention in basic physiology class. She quickly gave up struggling.

“It’s my fault.”

Zhu Yiqiao asked calmly, “Then do you want to learn again?”

Ming Fei looked up in surprise: “How can I learn?”

“—I’ll teach you.”

Ming Fei’s mood brightened. She really wanted to learn how to completely control her pheromones, and her awe of Zhu Yiqiao was greatly dispelled by her willingness to teach.

She asked, “Is it convenient for you, Jiejie?”

Zhu Yiqiao pushed the question back to her: “This is a reward for you shooting Bai He tonight. Do you want it?”

Ming Fei was honest: “I do.”

Because of the lessened reverence and awe, she didn’t even realize that this was one of the few times she had expressed her own desire. She looked at Zhu Yiqiao earnestly, even taking out her phone to take notes, as if she had become a good student again.

“Sit properly,” Zhu Yiqiao said. “This is a one-time exception.”

Ming Fei sat up straight: “I will learn seriously.”

She had originally planned to take notes, but everything that followed made her cheeks burn even hotter, and she couldn’t focus at all.

Zhu Yiqiao walked to the bedside table and took out a pair of white gloves, putting them on. Returning to the edge of the bed, Zhu Yiqiao didn’t sit down, but stood directly to Ming Fei’s right, lightly touching the edge of Ming Fei’s pheromone suppressor patch with her index finger.

Instantly, Ming Fei felt her pheromones surge faster.

She didn’t question it, choosing to trust Zhu Yiqiao, and remained obediently seated in the single chair.

Through the suppressor patch and the white gloves, Zhu Yiqiao’s calluses were almost imperceptible. She didn’t look at Ming Fei’s gland, but observed the changes in Ming Fei’s expression, and said,

“The Differentiation Center once uploaded a research report.”

“If a differentiated alpha or omega cannot fully control their pheromones, there are only two possibilities. One is that there is a problem with the gland, and the other is that they haven’t fully developed control after differentiation and need some stimulation of the gland to fully release the pheromones before the situation can improve.”

Ming Fei understood.

The methods to stimulate the gland were simple. Besides licking, biting, and marking, the most common method used in hospitals was to touch it with special medical instruments. This ensured the safety of the gland and also ensured that the stimulation was within a tolerable range.

However, ordinary citizens of the Ole Empire couldn’t afford such expensive medical instruments, and the Independent State of Yi Meng, after her transmigration, didn’t have such facilities or conditions. At this moment, Ming Fei completely understood Zhu Yiqiao’s method.

“—After the release, focus your attention and try to control it using the methods taught in physiology class.”

Ming Fei nodded, trying to focus her attention.

As the pear scent in the room reached its peak, the pheromone bracelet on Zhu Yiqiao’s wrist flickered.

The bracelet’s pheromone suppression function was stronger and more effective than the patch, and it could detect the pheromone concentration of the wearer and the surrounding environment at all times, as well as other bodily functions.

She glanced at the readings, took a step back, and let Ming Fei try to control it herself.

The sweet and slightly bitter pear scent gradually faded, but Zhu Yiqiao felt her own pheromones expressing reluctance.

In contrast, her pheromones… seemed to like the pear scent belonging to Ming Fei more than she did, as joyful as withered seedlings encountering spring.

But she had always been self-controlled and aloof. After taking off her white gloves without a change in expression, she increased the bracelet’s detection function by another level and left the room.

---

By the time Ming Fei was sure that her pheromones were no longer overflowing, the time on the display screen had reached zero.

She smiled, a small dimple appearing on her right cheek.

The pear scent in the bedroom had completely disappeared. Ming Fei pushed open the door and went out. In the living room, she saw Zhu Yiqiao standing by the French window, seemingly admiring the snowy seascape outside.

Ming Fei approached her and thanked her sincerely: “Jiejie, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Ming Fei walked to her side and finally couldn’t help but ask, “Can I ask a question?”

“Ask.”

“Why did you agree to a contract marriage with me?”

At first, she thought Zhu Yiqiao needed a suitable fake partner for various social occasions, or for the annual public opinion polls. But the attack at St. Gesali tonight made her reconsider this question.

She seemed to have oversimplified the matter. She thought.

Zhu Yiqiao’s gaze rested on the rocks being beaten by the waves. There was a medical patch on the graze on her jaw, which would heal completely without leaving a scar in a day or two.

She said, “You should be able to guess the other reasons. The most important reason is the research institute, like tonight.”

“You are the only one who can successfully match with me genetically, and vice versa. I am also the only one who can match with you.” Her gaze grew colder. “If the research institute can plant spies to steal the genetic samples of victims, they will definitely find out about this. Then, you will become a living experiment.”

“Marriage is protection, and also another form of deterrence.”

Ming Fei understood, but was still surprised by the existence of the research institute. She asked, puzzled,

“What do they want?”

Zhu Yiqiao initially chose to keep it a secret so as not to disturb Ming Fei’s life too much or make her constantly worried. Because she had already deployed the highest level of protection in the Independent State of Yi Meng, not even a bird could approach the villa area where the three of them lived.

But things had come to this point, and the research institute’s affairs would be revealed to the public soon, so Zhu Yiqiao didn’t mind letting Ming Fei know these upcoming news in advance.

She replied, “New humans.”

“We have very little information. According to the confessions of all the captured spies and agents, the research institute defines the virus crisis a hundred years ago as a divine gift. They believe it was an evolution bestowed upon humanity by God, but humanity didn’t reach a perfect evolutionary state after this divine gift, so they attempt to eliminate genetic rejection through human experimentation and create invincible, perfect new humans.”

Ming Fei’s pupils constricted. She understood the dangers of human experimentation, but she hadn’t expected the research institute to go this far. If these truths behind the scenes were made public, the citizens of all countries would definitely think the research institute was a group of madmen.

“Don’t worry, both I and the Independent State of Yi Meng will provide you and Zaozao with the highest level of protection.”

Zhu Yiqiao said coldly, “Within a year, the research institute will disappear from this world.”

Ming Fei didn’t speak, as if pondering something, until the service robot in the living room issued a sleep reminder—

“Time for bed~ Time for bed~ Detecting that two guests haven’t rested yet. Please note that good sleep is essential for maintaining a relationship~”

Ming Fei immediately put the robot into sleep mode.

She offered, “Jiejie, I’ll sleep on the sofa tonight.”

“Are you planning to sit all night?”

“…It’s fine, I’ll make do.”

Zhu Yiqiao finally looked at her: “Sleep on the bed together.”

 

Chapter 29: “But Your Pheromones Are Overflowing.”

“—Pheromones are a person’s second face.”

This was the subtitle used by the Ole Empire’s Differentiation Research Center when it released the pheromone statistics report in the year 1007 of another world.

Because she had never agreed with the Ole Empire’s domestication and alienation since she was young, Ming Fei, still a child at the time, felt that this subtitle was full of ambiguity.

Now, for the first time, she clearly perceived the pheromones of Zhu Yiqiao, who was also an alpha. Although she hadn’t taken any physiology classes after differentiating, she knew that mutual repulsion could occur between members of the same group.

But… Zhu Yiqiao’s pheromones smelled so good.

She wasn’t sensitive to smells, but she immediately recognized it—it was her favorite woody scent.

She subconsciously wanted to discern the specific fragrance further, but her unwavering reason relentlessly reminded her that this was a very offensive and transgressive act. So, she took off the pheromone bracelet from her wrist and handed it to Zhu Yiqiao.

“Jiejie, you use mine first.” She explained, “I’ve put on a suppressor patch and learned how to control my pheromones.”

“Okay.”

For some reason, Ming Fei felt that Zhu Yiqiao’s final glance at her was a little strange, like a human observing an unfamiliar creature in a cage.

Because there were still many military personnel and officials outside, Ming Fei didn’t ask any more questions for fear of revealing their secret.

After seeing Zhu Yiqiao securely fasten the bracelet, Ming Fei picked up her own bracelet, which had fallen to the ground and become unresponsive, and handed it back to Zhu Yiqiao, who had returned to her usual indifferent demeanor.

The cold fragrance in the room immediately faded, the previous rich surge as if it had been just a fleeting illusion.

Zhu Yiqiao extended her hand towards her: “Let’s go out.”

Ming Fei took her hand: “Mm.”

They walked out. The bright and spacious banquet hall was surrounded by military personnel, and the soldiers in the center were detaining three deputy ministers and councilors from Silla. The Chief Superintendent of Taiya, seeing Zhu Yiqiao, immediately walked over.

“Chief Judge Zhu, please apologize to Executive Lan on my behalf. I will definitely give the Trial Court an explanation for tonight’s incident.”

The head of the police department didn’t look young, with streaks of silver already appearing at her temples. And because of her gentle appearance and manner of speaking, she seemed more like a politician than the Chief Superintendent who dealt with vicious criminals.

Zhu Yiqiao said coldly, “Chief Superintendent Qian, I hope the Trial Court can investigate Bai He together with the police department.”

Bai He was the Minister of Civil Affairs of Silla, and she was clearly involved in tonight’s attack and assassination attempt. The Trial Court had been investigating the whereabouts of the research institute, and Zhu Yiqiao didn’t want to hand over all the leads to Taiya for investigation.

Chief Superintendent Qian, knowing she was at fault, nodded: “Of course. Please rest assured, Chief Judge Zhu, the police department will fully cooperate with the Trial Court in the investigation.”

“Mm.”

Chief Superintendent Qian’s gaze shifted to Ming Fei, and she said, “Chief Judge Zhu, I will increase the number of personnel to protect your safety during this time.”

Zhu Yiqiao, who had already arranged for people to be stationed around the hotel, didn’t refuse.

They talked a little more about tonight’s incident. Five minutes later, Zhu Yiqiao left St. Gesali with Ming Fei.

---

Taiya First Military District Hospital.

After the black hovercar entered the parking garage, Zhu Yiqiao and Ming Fei took the elevator upstairs. Arriving at the sixteenth floor of Building Three of the inpatient department, they walked hand in hand towards Ward 009.

Inside, Lan Lubai, wearing a hospital gown, was video chatting with Min Man, who was back in the Independent State of Yi Meng.

She was pale, but her lips were curved upwards, and her emerald green eyes sparkled with amusement. While listening to Min Man on the other end of the video call, she played a virtual game on the game console in the room.

It wasn’t until the door opened and she saw Zhu Yiqiao and Ming Fei enter that she turned off the game and started to act pitiful.

“Yiqiao, that Bai He fought unfairly, otherwise, in a one-on-one fight, I would have taken her down in three moves.”

“I made a huge sacrifice this time, wuwu.” She blinked, hinting, “It’s my birthday next month, why don’t you give me—”

Zhu Yiqiao directly stuffed an apple into her mouth and started talking business with Min Man on the screen.

“Bai He is from the research institute.”

Min Man’s expression turned serious: “I guessed as much. In the last gene theft case, the Trial Court found that the SE Group’s gene theft activities were linked to Taiya. I didn’t expect that Silla, which has always been moderate and neutral, would also be involved.”

“Perhaps it’s more serious than we initially thought.”

Zhu Yiqiao actually remembered who Bai He was. This Minister Bai, who had been openly pursuing her since she was transferred to the Trial Court, had sent her private messages many times. Apart from necessary official contact, she had never paid attention to Bai He, let alone wasted time replying to her invitations.

If Bai He had been in contact with the research institute three years ago, then all her public displays of affection and invitations were premeditated attempts at something more sinister.

The image on the screen flickered, and Min Man then asked, “Should we re-investigate the other countries?”

Zhu Yiqiao said, “All of them.”

“Okay.”

Min Man asked, “I didn’t have time to ask just now, is Teacher Ming okay? I heard from Lubai that the first bullet was aimed at her.”

Ming Fei, who had remained silent since entering the room, greeted Min Man at Zhu Yiqiao’s prompting glance.

“Thank you for your concern, Executive Min, I’m fine.” After saying that, she quickly added, “By the way, please don’t tell Zaozao, she’ll worry.”

Min Man said, “Okay, I will keep it a secret from Teacher Ming for now.”

Ming Fei, having finished the conversation, returned to her original position. She took out her phone, logged into 008’s system intranet, and after setting the command to prohibit the disclosure of this news, she opened 008’s video library and looked at today’s recordings of Ming Zaozao.

Ming Zaozao seemed to have grown a little taller in the past half month.

But because of the sudden drop in temperature, she was always bundled up warmly indoors, and her winter appetite was good, making Ming Zaozao’s little round face even rounder, so it was a little difficult to tell from her appearance whether she had grown taller or not.

Ming Fei secretly decided to measure Ming Zaozao again when she got back. If she had grown taller, she would make her favorite jujube cake. Of course, even if Ming Zaozao hadn’t grown taller, she would still receive many gifts and the most delicious Ming Fei-brand jujube cake.

Ming Zaozao in the video was very cute, and Ming Fei watched with a smile in her eyes. It wasn’t until Min Man suddenly had something to do and hung up the video call that her thoughts were brought back by Zhu Yiqiao’s voice.

“Who was the other person in the compartment?”

Lan Lubai was already munching on an apple, her eyes narrowed slightly as if in recollection, but in the end, she still couldn’t remember.

“Looks familiar, but I can’t remember the name.”

“I ran into them when I went to find Chief Superintendent Qian. At that time, Bai He was still acting as usual. She asked me where you were, and I didn’t want to pay attention to her, then the person next to her suddenly lunged at me.”

“I thought she was a little strange at the time, so I didn’t use excessive force. At first, her physique was normal, and I had the upper hand.” Lan Lubai took a vicious bite of the apple, as if venting her anger. “But soon, she seemed to lose her mind and wanted to bite me, and her physique and strength suddenly increased. I judged that she had been injected with some kind of illegal drug. Just as I was trying to lure her into the restroom to deal with her, that despicable Bai He attacked me from behind with a silenced pistol.”

“The bullet grazed my left shoulder, and the other person took advantage of my distraction to knock me down. Bai He followed behind her and injected me with an anesthetic.”

After listening, Zhu Yiqiao said calmly, “That person shouldn’t be a test subject of the research institute.”

Lan Lubai widened her eyes, putting on an act: “Yiqiao, you’re not concerned about me at all after hearing this? I was actually injured!”

She continued to complain, and after listening, Zhu Yiqiao asked, “When can you be discharged? I need you to join the investigation.”

Lan Lubai’s fake crying became even louder, and she quickly looked at Ming Fei next to her.

“Teacher Xiao Fei, look at Yiqiao, she doesn’t know how to care about the Jiejie who went through life and death with her.”

Ming Fei hesitated to speak.

Under Zhu Yiqiao’s gaze, Ming Fei decided to ask, “Then what did the doctor say?”

Lan Lubai threw the apple core into the trash can: “The doctor said at least a week.”

Ming Fei was a little surprised because Lan Lubai seemed perfectly fine at the moment, not to the extent that she needed to be hospitalized for a week.

Zhu Yiqiao, who knew her friend’s personality very well, asked back, “A week?”

Lan Lubai conceded, “Okay, it’s actually five days.”

The naive Ming Fei then asked, “Five days?”

Lan Lubai couldn’t bear to deceive her: “Well, four days would be fine too.”

Finally, meeting Zhu Yiqiao’s icy gaze, Lan Lubai raised her hands in surrender: “Okay, okay, two or three days! That little graze doesn’t even need a medical pod. I can be discharged after two days of observation if everything is fine.”

---

The moon was like water.

It was already eleven o’clock at night when they returned to the hotel in the main urban area.

Ming Fei almost dozed off during the car ride and managed to stay awake until they returned to the hotel, but the sleepiness was dispelled by the thought of sharing a bed.

The snowy scenery outside the French windows was beautiful and dreamlike. Ming Fei sat on the single chair and waited, and only saw Zhu Yiqiao’s reflection in the French window when the bedroom door creaked open slightly.

After washing up, Zhu Yiqiao let down her long curly hair, took off her Trial Court uniform, and changed into a simple black nightgown. For some reason, Ming Fei felt that Zhu Yiqiao, reflected in the French window, looked like a black rose in the snow.

Cold, elegant, beautiful, and with thorns born from growing in a harsh environment.

Ming Fei turned around: “Jiejie, I’ll go take a shower.”

“Mm.”

Ming Fei, as if fleeing, hurried into the bathroom with her pajamas. After showering and drying her long hair, Ming Fei changed to a new pheromone suppressor patch. Perhaps because they shared a bathroom, Ming Fei noticed a faint woody scent in the air.

Based on the type of pheromone, she guessed that Zhu Yiqiao’s differentiation level should be very high, while she, after differentiating, had become a defective alpha of the lowest level due to an accident.

But she didn’t care about these things.

She was herself, and no matter what category or level she belonged to, she didn’t care about the definitions imposed by the Ole Empire.

Therefore, she had no intention of prying into Zhu Yiqiao’s past.

After leaving the bathroom, she slowly approached Zhu Yiqiao, who was reading documents, and was just about to say that she planned to sleep on the single sofa in the living room.

But as she took a step, Zhu Yiqiao looked up and asked,

“Ming Fei, didn’t you use a suppressor patch?”

Ming Fei paused: “Jiejie, I just changed to a new one.”

After saying that, to prove that she wasn’t lying, she even pulled her long black hair to the right side, exposing the gland on the back of her neck for Zhu Yiqiao to inspect.

“I didn’t lie to you,” she said softly. “I really used one.”

Because they had already established a foundation of trust, Ming Fei didn’t think there was anything wrong with letting Zhu Yiqiao check whether she had applied a suppressor patch. She was even worried that Zhu Yiqiao couldn’t see it, so she naively asked,

“Jiejie, did you check?”

At this moment, Zhu Yiqiao noticed that Ming Fei’s pear scent was still continuously emanating, as if countless sweet and juicy pears had been cut open in the room. And the information on her Trial Court official website wasn’t fake, she really did like to eat pears.

In the Ole Empire’s pheromone statistics report, there were no alphas whose pheromones smelled like pear. Only omegas had sweet, fruity scents. Although a very small number of alphas had fruit-type pheromones, they were never… sweet.

Thinking of something, Zhu Yiqiao said, “Come closer.”

Ming Fei didn’t suspect anything: “Okay.”

She obediently moved closer, letting her most vulnerable weakness be exposed to Zhu Yiqiao’s view, and only turned to look at her when Zhu Yiqiao spoke again.

“At St. Gesali, you said you had learned to control your pheromones.”

Ming Fei nodded blankly: “Mm.”

“But your pheromones are overflowing.”

“The teacher in your basic physiology class should have taught you that for a differentiated alpha or omega to release pheromones, it’s either a challenge or a courtship.”

Zhu Yiqiao asked slowly, “Ming Fei, which one is it?”

Chapter 28: An Extremely Rich Fir Scent Surged Towards Her

After the chaotic virus crisis of the old calendar ended, the United Government Alliance announced its dissolution.

As humanity officially entered the new century, the Independent State of Yi Meng, Taiya, and Silla took the lead, explicitly prohibiting citizens from illegally possessing firearms.

The security at St. Gesali was very high, and many of the politicians present were unarmed. While everyone still mistakenly thought it was an accidental discharge, Zhu Yiqiao, the first to react, pulled Ming Fei into her arms at the critical moment and threw themselves onto the grayish-green cashmere carpet.

The silver-gray bullet hit a wooden pillar with unstoppable force.

In the next instant, the wooden pillar supporting the right side of the banquet hall quickly cracked, almost breaking completely.

Lan Lubai immediately reacted, pulling out the black pistol from her waist. After quickly determining the direction from which the bullet had been fired, another gunshot came from the left.

At the same time, the chandelier in the main hall was shot down, and the sensor system malfunctioned, plunging the entire banquet hall into darkness.

Only then did the surrounding politicians finally realize the danger, but perhaps because they were all in high positions, they didn’t panic.

Ming Fei, held in Zhu Yiqiao’s arms, was pale, her lips tightly pressed together, her right hand tightly gripping Zhu Yiqiao’s cloak.

Even though Zhu Yiqiao had pointed a gun at her head just over a month ago, this kind of heart-pounding fear was far removed from her life. She had mostly only seen it in movies and news.

Zhu Yiqiao, in danger, was also extremely calm. She didn’t let go of Ming Fei and said to Lan Lubai, who was crouching under the edge of the table,

“There’s a sniper.”

“Southeast direction,” Lan Lubai said sharply. “On the top floor of that golden building.”

“Report the location to Chief Superintendent Qian and have her activate the Duxing device immediately to deal with the two snipers.”

Lan Lubai raised an eyebrow: “Two?”

At this moment, they were like they were back in the war-torn years, a strange excitement even appearing in Zhu Yiqiao’s eyes, like a bloodthirsty beast finally catching sight of its prey after being starved.

Zhu Yiqiao, who still held the sniping record, said, “There was only a one-second difference between the third and fourth gunshots. She’s between 65° and 75° northwest.”

Lan Lubai understood: “Okay. I’ll go. You and Teacher Xiao Fei be careful, they have people inside here.”

“Mm.”

After saying that, Lan Lubai disappeared into the darkness.

In an instant, another bullet shattered the glass below the right side of the banquet hall. Countless shards fell to the ground with a piercing sound, like needles, assaulting everyone’s eardrums.

But no one dared to move, because the slightest carelessness could result in being shot by the sniper.

In the boundless darkness, Zhu Yiqiao looked down at the person in her arms and asked in a low voice,

“Are you alright?”

Ming Fei’s voice was soft: “I’m okay.”

Zhu Yiqiao released her hand from Ming Fei’s waist, then gripped her pistol, standing beside Ming Fei in a protective posture.

“Don’t make a sound.”

She promised, “I won’t let you be in any danger.”

Ming Fei nodded, her heart hanging in the air due to the dangerous situation. She didn’t dare to move, but that didn’t mean that the people lurking in the crowd would let them off so easily.

The silence amplified the slightest sounds countless times.

A strange sound came from the left side of the round table. Ming Fei, with her sharp hearing, realized that someone was approaching them, and from the footsteps, she deduced that this person was definitely not Lan Lubai. She immediately wanted to warn Zhu Yiqiao, but Zhu Yiqiao was already aware of the person’s movements.

When the sturdy figure tried to take them down from behind, Zhu Yiqiao, with lightning speed, turned the person around and pressed them against the wooden pillar, then without hesitation pressed her gun against the back of the person’s head, her voice chilling,

“—Don’t move.”

Seeing their failure, the person didn’t struggle, but instead, as if trying to send some kind of signal, reached towards their waist.

But Zhu Yiqiao didn’t give them the chance. Because firing a gun would expose their location, she instead pulled out the dagger hidden in her boot and pressed it against the dangerous person’s arm.

“Tell me, where is the research institute—”

Before she could finish the rest of her words, the person in front of her, like all the criminals caught before, quietly closed their eyes.

“Bang—Bang—”

Two sudden gunshots seemed to tear a hole in the darkness that enveloped the banquet hall.

Instantly, Zhu Yiqiao’s attention was drawn to the gunshots. She placed the sleeping research institute agent on the ground and handed the dagger to Ming Fei.

“Hold this.”

Ming Fei took it: “Thank you.”

“The gunshots came from Lubai’s direction. If she doesn’t come back in five minutes, I’m going to find her.”

Ming Fei nodded: “Okay.”

She quietly stayed by Zhu Yiqiao’s side. Although her face was pale, her hand holding the dagger didn’t tremble, so much so that Zhu Yiqiao glanced at her, as if wondering why the timid rabbit hadn’t curled up in fear.

After confirming that there was no danger around them, Ming Fei hesitantly asked, “That person just now…”

Zhu Yiqiao remained vigilant, her finger never leaving the trigger of her gun. She began counting down five minutes in her mind, her gaze sweeping over Ming Fei’s long hair, which had come loose when they fell to the ground.

“She was from the research institute.”

She briefly explained, “The real culprit behind the gene theft is the research institute. Many of the agents they send are terminally ill. Every time they are caught, they swallow a pill hidden under their tongue and die in their sleep five minutes later.”

Ming Fei was surprised because Zhu Yiqiao hadn’t told her about the research institute before. Like the citizens of the Independent State of Yi Meng, she had thought the real culprits behind the gene theft were the SE Group and the wealthy and powerful businessmen.

She had even thought… that the SE Group was conducting human experiments.

She hadn’t expected that there was a behemoth lurking in the depths behind all this.

But at this moment, neither of them could afford to be distracted, and could only touch upon the subject briefly.

Ming Fei gave a soft acknowledgment and didn’t ask any further questions. When the countdown ended, she followed Zhu Yiqiao to Lan Lubai’s location.

All electronic devices in the building had failed. Although Ming Fei didn’t know how Zhu Yiqiao knew where Lan Lubai was, she didn’t ask, trusting her unconditionally.

As they got closer, Ming Fei noticed faint white lights flashing outside.

She guessed that rescue had arrived. After all, all the people here were high-ranking officials from various countries. Some time had passed since the incident, and Taiya couldn’t just ignore it. Moreover, the Chief Superintendent of Taiya and many councilors were also here.

Along the way, they encountered three councilors hiding in the back. Although she couldn’t see their faces clearly, she could clearly see their shaking heads and warning gestures.

Undoubtedly, there was danger ahead.

When they arrived at Lan Lubai’s location, it was already empty.

Ming Fei was a little at a loss, while Zhu Yiqiao looked intently at the small compartment behind the screen.

“Stay here.”

Zhu Yiqiao handed her gun to Ming Fei: “Give me the dagger, and you take the gun for self-defense.”

Then, by the faint moonlight, she showed her, “Load the bullet, aim at the target, and then pull the trigger.*”

She turned and asked, “Understood?”

Ming Fei felt that this sentence was somewhat familiar.

She refused: “You take the gun. I’m safe here, nothing will happen.”

She had a habit of working out, so her physical condition was quite good. Although she still lacked the advantage against trained agents, after a risk assessment, she believed Zhu Yiqiao needed the gun more than she did.

But Zhu Yiqiao’s attitude was firm. Without giving Ming Fei time to react, she directly exchanged the gun for the dagger and pushed Ming Fei into a hidden corner.

“This is the sniper’s blind spot. Even if the agents come here, you’ll be able to spot them immediately.” Zhu Yiqiao looked at her intently. “You can’t leave here until I come out or until rescue arrives.”

Ming Fei hesitated to speak: “The gun…”

Zhu Yiqiao didn’t linger. After saying that, she left with the dagger.

---

When facing the great unknown, all emotions are probably overshadowed by fear.

Ming Fei was no exception.

She was actually quite scared, because when the first bullet came at her, if Zhu Yiqiao’s reaction had been even slightly slower, she would have been shot through the shoulder.

And…

Amidst her chaotic thoughts, Ming Fei never forgot to grip the gun Zhu Yiqiao had given her tightly.

When the sound of police sirens and other alarms came from downstairs, Ming Fei, through calculations and estimations, realized that five minutes had passed since Zhu Yiqiao entered the compartment. Given Zhu Yiqiao’s track record, Ming Fei began to wonder why she hadn’t come out yet.

Because the compartment behind the screen was very small, one could see the entire room at a glance.

So… why hadn’t Zhu Yiqiao come out yet?

A terrifying thought emerged from the depths of her mind. Ming Fei’s face paled. After a brief moment of hesitation, she slowly moved from the corner in the darkness.

As she approached, she heard noises coming from the compartment, like the sounds of a struggle and a heavy object falling to the ground.

Ming Fei didn’t dare to waste any time, approaching again with Zhu Yiqiao’s pistol in hand.

Finally, as she reached the door of the compartment, the noises inside grew louder and louder. She didn’t have time to think too much. After loading the bullet, she pulled the trigger, firing through the crack in the closed door.

The room was dark, but thanks to a few rays of moonlight coming in through a small window, Ming Fei immediately saw the chaotic scene clearly.

Lan Lubai, who had disappeared, was tied up in the right corner, with some blood on her left shoulder.

And standing next to her… was Minister Bai, who had once publicly pursued Zhu Yiqiao. Minister Bai had a smile on her face, but the muzzle of her gun was pointed directly at Lan Lubai’s right shoulder.

Zhu Yiqiao, the source of the noises, was fighting with a woman whose muscular physique was clearly abnormal. Although she had the upper hand, she seemed to be restricted by something and hadn’t dealt a fatal blow to the woman.

Ming Fei didn’t hesitate. Taking advantage of her position, before the calm and composed Minister Bai could react, after quickly calculating the shooting angle, she fired a shot, hitting Minister Bai’s right hand.

Bang—

Minister Bai’s gun fell to the ground after being hit. Lan Lubai quickly got up and pinned her down. Zhu Yiqiao, with astonishing strength, knocked the other woman unconscious in an instant, then took the gun from Ming Fei and fired two more shots at Minister Bai, who was still struggling.

One in the left shoulder, and one in the right shoulder.

Then, she stepped forward and grabbed Minister Bai’s chin, checking to make sure there were no pills hidden under her tongue. Disgust flickered in her eyes, and she took off her white gloves.

After all this, the lights in the entire banquet hall came back on, and the rescue team burst through the door.

Zhu Yiqiao untied Lan Lubai, and Ming Fei noticed a graze on her cheek and jaw, and the pheromone bracelet on her wrist was a little loose.

Ming Fei walked over and helped Lan Lubai up. After Lan Lubai was taken away by the military personnel to have her injuries examined, Zhu Yiqiao turned to Ming Fei.

The military personnel went to check other areas. Minister Bai and the other woman, who had clearly been injected with some kind of drug, were also taken away. Only Zhu Yiqiao and Ming Fei were left in the compartment.

Under the light, this was the first time Ming Fei saw a smile in Zhu Yiqiao’s eyes because of her.

Zhu Yiqiao said, “You did very well.”

Ming Fei, praised, was a little embarrassed. Although her heart finally settled down, she felt that she hadn’t actually helped much and had even been a burden. If it weren’t for protecting her and giving her the gun, Zhu Yiqiao would definitely have had the advantage.

She smiled, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere, when a sudden sound echoed in the room.

Ming Fei looked over and saw Zhu Yiqiao’s pheromone bracelet suddenly fall to the ground.

Instantly—

An extremely rich, woody scent, clearly at the edge of being overwhelming, surged towards her.