After Being Forcibly Marked By My Fiancé’S Best Friend Chapter 3
bySeeing Lian Xu remain silent, He Yu reluctantly assumed he was thinking of his fiancé again. With a hint of annoyance, He Yu grabbed Lian Xu’s ankle and pulled, resting half of the leg on his shoulder.
He turned his head and rubbed against the soft, springy calf muscle.
Most soldiers trained their muscles to be quite solid, which meant an Omega like Lian Xu, with his delicate build, had a distinct disadvantage, making it difficult for him to maneuver high-difficulty Mechs with ease.
This was because operating such Mechs demanded extremely high levels of physical control and dominance from the officer. The joysticks inside the Mech required strong wrist support, and the accelerator pedals were even more demanding. The more precise and complex the Mech, the harder the joysticks and accelerators were to operate.
Any Omega who could pilot a Mech onto the battlefield had put in a hundredfold effort, developing taut muscles and pushing their strength to the limit just to handle more complex Mechs easily.
He Yu had reviewed Lian Xu’s file; his wrist strength was barely passing, yet he could effortlessly pilot various high-difficulty Mechs using sheer technique and finesse.
This allowed Lian Xu to forgo intensive muscle training and instead focus on skill application. As a result, he had almost none of the jarring, overdeveloped muscles one might expect.
He Yu slowly massaged the other man’s calf.
Lian Xu had just returned from battle, and his entire body was sore after the intense fighting, especially his arms and calves. The ill-timed heat had arrived, and after being soothed by the scent of white camellia, combined with He Yu’s gentle touch, he felt significantly relieved.
But emboldened by this, He Yu became increasingly reckless, his hand gradually moving toward the upper thigh, massaging it in circles.
Lian Xu reacted instantly, slapping He Yu’s hand away.
He Yu stared at Lian Xu with a mournful look. Omegas in heat were indeed difficult to please and utterly unreasonable.
Even so, he found it sweet.
Lian Xu was utterly exhausted, so much so that he didn’t even notice He Yu’s lingering gaze on his legs afterward, falling into a deep sleep.
When he woke up again, his Military Uniform had been washed and was drying on the balcony. The food on the table was still steaming. He Yu didn’t cook, so he must have ordered it.
Lian Xu ate and then went back to sleep. The scoundrel was at least thoughtful enough to leave behind some white camellia scent before leaving, making his night less uncomfortable.
The next day, before Lian Xu had fully recovered, he received a training assignment.
Three months was neither a long nor a short time. The commanders of Lakalā were all cunning old foxes, and if support arrived early, a surprise attack was not out of the question.
The immediate priority was to quickly train a new batch of elite troops capable of resisting the next assault.
This training would be led entirely by the newly appointed head of the Military Operations Group.
On the training ground, everyone had assembled. Lian Xu felt even more nervous than the new recruits below him.
The Commander stood right beside him.
Shen Zaizhou, a male Alpha, was admitted to the Star Tower military base at the exceptional age of 14. He first saw combat at 16, piloting a D-class flight Mech to penetrate the enemy’s main base and wipe them out in one fell swoop. At 17, during the Barbarian Star invasion, he joined the operation to eliminate Lakalā. At 18, he took over the Lakalā combat command mission. A year later, Lakalā was forced into a ceasefire, awaiting rescue.
He had just turned 19 last month.
Just thinking about this made Lian Xu hold his breath. The D-class flight Mech was one of the worst models among all Mechs, yet under the Commander’s control, it displayed an intensity it shouldn’t have possessed. During the Lakalā operation, he even drove a battered combat Mech straight toward the headquarters.
He was simply a terrifying Alpha, no wonder the Inner Cabinet was wary of him.
Standing next to an Alpha who was a head taller than him, the pressure pierced him from head to toe, almost solidifying the air around them.
Rumble—Rumble—
The sky was overcast, and thunder rolled. It was not a good day for outdoor training. But the Commander stood unmoving, like a towering mountain rising from the ground.
Nervousness aside, training could not be delayed. Lian Xu looked at the fresh blood below and suddenly felt his fighting spirit ignite. In three months, they would be the newest batch of elite troops, breaking through the siege under his leadership and completely eliminating Lakalā.
Lian Xu calmed himself, waiting for the Commander to issue the order. His gaze shifted, and he noticed He Yu was also among the people below.
Why would a Five-Star General loyal to the Inner Cabinet and closely connected to its core members appear on the training ground?
A bad feeling arose spontaneously.
The Command Center had not yet been fully established, and all officers still took orders from the Inner Cabinet. However, a year ago, an accident occurred during the Lakalā operation, and when the Commander arrived on the battlefield with his operational plan, the generals with military ranks seemed to realize the future direction of things.
Subtly, they had split into two factions. One faction swore allegiance to the Inner Cabinet, and the other fully obeyed the Commander’s orders.
After the recent battle, less than a fifth of those hundred-plus individuals were still serving the Inner Cabinet. Another portion, like Lian Xu, followed orders but did not take sides.
But now, even if he didn’t want to choose, he had to. As the head of the Command Center’s Military Operations Group, he would never betray his organization.
Yin Zhuo was the Prime Minister of the Inner Cabinet, and He Yu was his brother-in-arms; there was no question which side He Yu stood on, especially since the entire galaxy knew the He family was loyal to the Inner Cabinet—a fact that couldn’t be changed.
The sky grew darker, and a fierce wind began to blow.
Shen Zaizhou finally spoke: “Good morning, everyone.”
“Good morning, Commander!” The hot-blooded youths, seventeen or eighteen years old, carried the dream of eliminating the enemy and restoring peace to the Empire. They came to the Star Tower, accepting the most rigorous training, only to step onto the battlefield and personally destroy the enemy with their Mechs.
The Commander nodded slightly and continued the introduction: “This person beside me is the head of the Military Operations Group. For these three months, he will dedicate himself to formulating corresponding training tasks and conducting strict assessments for all of you.”
Lian Xu smiled and greeted the team members: “Lian Xu, head of the Military Operations Group, greets you all!”
“Hello, Group Head Lian!”
Lian Xu’s eyes softened. Once upon a time, he too stood excitedly in the crowd, greeting his training officer.
“The person in front of you is Five-Star General He Yu, and he will be your chief training instructor.”
“Hello, Instructor He!”
Lian Xu: “?!”
What?! He Yu was actually… the chief instructor for this training!
Had the Inner Cabinet and the Command Center reconciled?
No, that was impossible. Even if the Command Center wanted to, the Inner Cabinet would never reconcile with it. Was He Yu appearing on the training ground to help the Commander train the team members because he was invited, or was it to provoke a greater conflict between the two sides?
Lian Xu shook his head, driving away those unrealistic thoughts.
Putting the Inner Cabinet aside, He Yu was undoubtedly the best candidate for the instructor position.
After the introductions were complete, the training officially began.
Thunder roared incessantly, and raindrops hammered down. Within minutes, everyone was soaked in the rain.
But training would not stop because of the weather. They had no time to adapt from light to heavy training; they were destined to undergo rigorous training from the start. The training that followed could only become more brutal.
Lian Xu clenched his fist and turned to look at the Commander. Seeing no reaction from him, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and issue the command: “Fifteen kilometers weighted run. I will wait for you all at the mountaintop.”
At their feet were pre-prepared weighted sandbags. Soaked by the rain, their weight had doubled. Faced with this training content, everyone was stunned.
Was Star Tower training really this inhumane?
Fortunately, no one gave up immediately. They were all high-quality soldiers who had passed rigorous training and layers of selection to enter the Star Tower. Perhaps the fifteen-kilometer weighted run was just an appetizer.
He Yu, as the chief instructor, was the first to tie on the sandbags and start moving. The team members followed behind him, beginning the first training exercise.
Lian Xu saw that most people had left and prepared to depart.
The Commander suddenly spoke: “As a core member of the Command Center, you must first be strong enough for others to trust and obey you. If you doubt your own judgment because of a single word or a look, then you don’t need to wait three months; you can leave now. Gender has never been a barrier, especially for the Command Center. I want an absolutely formidable, all-around elite army, and the person leading this elite team must also possess sufficiently convincing combat and command capabilities.”
Lian Xu’s heart sank.
When he heard the appointment, he had indeed doubted himself because of the scornful and disdainful looks from others. He questioned whether his abilities truly met the standard and whether he could successfully remain in the position three months later.
He was an Omega, and he wanted to break the gender shackles, making those self-important Alphas look at him with new respect.
The Commander’s words pierced through the worries and fears hidden deep within Lian Xu’s heart.
Gender was not a barrier; the fact that the Command Center had opened its doors to him was proof enough.
Lian Xu’s gaze gradually hardened. He looked up at Shen Zaizhou’s retreating figure: “Yes, I understand!”
“Lian Xu, head of the Command Center’s Military Group, guarantees you that in three months, the team I lead will be the most formidable elite army in the Empire’s history!”
Shen Zaizhou smiled faintly: “Good. I look forward to seeing it.”
With that, he left the training ground. This training no longer required the Commander’s constant supervision. Next, he had a more important task—to manufacture a new batch of advanced combat Mechs.
Lian Xu watched the Commander leave, suddenly feeling the burden on his shoulders intensify due to his own boastful declaration. Since he had made such a promise, he would achieve results even if it killed him. He believed in himself and his team members.
However, there was still the headache of He Yu, whom he needed to constantly guard against.
Lian Xu rubbed his temples and left the training ground for the designated mountaintop.
The mountaintop was exposed, and without shelter, the wind and rain were even more ferocious, hitting in waves.
An Omega’s body was inherently less robust than an Alpha’s, and coupled with the effects of his heat, he was already feeling a bit unsteady standing on the peak. But when he saw the team members running toward him, he felt he could manage to hold on.
He Yu was the first to reach the destination, followed by three Alphas behind him. They were utterly exhausted but still able to stand, though they lacked the strength to speak.
Those who arrived later couldn’t even stand steadily, crashing into the neatly formed line and collapsing in small groups.
Lian Xu checked the time. When the last team member reached the mountaintop, they were three minutes over the time limit. Perhaps due to the weather, the first physical training session at the Star Tower had poor results. But on the battlefield, the enemy wouldn’t choose a sunny day to fight you. A surprise attack could happen at any time, especially in such extremely harsh weather.
“Three minutes overtime. Everyone is penalized!”
“Huh? What?!” Everyone looked as if they had heard something unbelievable.
It was only three minutes, and in this weather!
Although there were complaints, no one dared to disobey.
“Two hundred single-arm push-ups,” Lian Xu said expressionlessly.
“What?!”
This completely ignited public outrage.
“What do you take us for?! We accept the penalty for being overtime in this extreme weather, but two hundred single-arm push-ups? Forget about us doing it when we’re half-dead, even you probably couldn’t do it!”
Someone noticed Lian Xu was an Omega and took the lead in questioning him.
Lian Xu didn’t even look at him. He bent down and started doing push-ups, single-arm ones at that.
“This…”
Lian Xu did three hundred. It wasn’t to show off, but to prove to the questioning personnel that an Omega, even without a powerful physique, could do what an Alpha could do.
And push-ups were just an appetizer.
Seeing this, He Yu couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Everyone, down! Two hundred single-arm push-ups. No eating until you finish!”
As his voice fell, He Yu walked over to Lian Xu and whispered, as if seeking praise, “How was that? Am I a competent instructor?”
Lian Xu’s gaze was steady: “If you talk back again, the penalty doubles.”
He Yu shrugged and resignedly lay down to do push-ups.
Not only was Lian Xu ungrateful, but he also deliberately made things difficult for He Yu. He walked over and stepped on He Yu’s shoulder, intentionally finding fault: “Instructor He, that’s not up to standard.”
“That’s not standard?” The team members secretly observed the instructor’s perfect push-ups, starting to doubt themselves because of the Group Head’s words.
It looked exactly the same as what Group Head Lian just did… right?
“Not standard?” He Yu’s shoulder tensed. He tried to get up but was pressed back down by Lian Xu’s foot.
The corner of Lian Xu’s mouth curled up. The kick he hadn’t delivered last night was finally made up for today.
But this angered He Yu.
He Yu grabbed Lian Xu’s ankle and yanked hard, causing Lian Xu to lose his balance and fall backward. Then, He Yu seized the opportunity to flip over and pin the Omega down, his palm covering the back of Lian Xu’s neck and vigorously rubbing the hot scent gland.
Lian Xu felt the abnormality in his scent gland and naturally wouldn’t tolerate it. He grabbed He Yu’s wrist and twisted it in the opposite direction. With a snap, He Yu’s arm was dislocated.
It was an undeniable fact that an Omega’s wrist strength was inferior to an Alpha’s. Few Omegas would push their physical limits to train their wrist strength to the extreme, but Lian Xu hadn’t. He used finesse to easily pilot Mechs, and now, he used finesse to dislocate the arm of a distracted Alpha.
He Yu raised an eyebrow: “A sneak attack?”
“On the battlefield, the enemy won’t delay their attack because you’re distracted,” Lian Xu said logically.
The next second, he grabbed the Alpha’s shoulder, wrapped his legs tightly around He Yu’s neck, and used the leverage to smoothly flip up from the ground, straddling the Alpha beneath him.
He Yu’s head was firmly fixed by Lian Xu’s thighs, unable to move, so he opened his mouth and bit down hard on the deep part of Lian Xu’s inner thigh.